Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Tom Swift and His War Tank
Tom Swift and His War Tank

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His War Tank is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tom Swift and His War Tank
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.
"I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.
You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"
"Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."
"And you say he's a German?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom Swift and His War Tank

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His War Tank is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.
Line 2
"I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.
Line 3
You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"
Line 4
"Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."
Line 5
"And you say he's a German?"

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

cheerful adjective US /ˈtʃɪrfəl/

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading “"I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.”

contemplation noun US /ˌkɑːntəmˈpleɪʃən/

a long and thoughtful observation

From this reading “A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.”

Eradicate verb US /ɪˈrædəkeɪt/

kill in large numbers

From this reading “A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.”

German noun US /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading “"And you say he's a German?"”

I's noun US /aɪz/

possessive form of “i” — a nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; used especially in medicine and photography and in dyes; occurs naturally only in combination in small quantities (as in sea water or rocks)

From this reading “"Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."”

Rad noun US /ræd/

a unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material

From this reading “You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"”

stable adjective US /ˈsteɪbəl/

resistant to change of position or condition

From this reading “You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"”

Test noun US /test/

trying something to find out about it

From this reading “A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.”

All words in this reading · 56

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "And you say he's a German?"

Boomerang's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

camouflager

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

cheerfuladjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪrfəl/

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

contemplationnounUS /ˌkɑːntəmˈpleɪʃən/

a long and thoughtful observation

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

dat's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

EradicateverbUS /ɪˈrædəkeɪt/

kill in large numbers

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading "And you say he's a German?"

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

he's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "And you say he's a German?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

I'snounUS /aɪz/

possessive form of “i” — a nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; used especially in medicine and photography and in dyes; occurs naturally only in combination in small quantities (as in sea water or rocks)

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

Massa

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

Ned

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

NightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

RadnounUS /ræd/

a unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

sah

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

shutverbUS /ʃʌt/

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/

marked by absence of sound

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/

resistant to change of position or condition

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

TestnounUS /test/

trying something to find out about it

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading A Night Test "Come on, Ned," said Tom, after a moment or two of silent contemplation of Eradicate.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

we'll

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "I don't know what this cheerful camouflager of mine is talking about, but we'll have to go to see, I suppose.

whut

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, sah, Massa Tom, dat's whut I's gone an done."

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You say you have shut some one up in Boomerang's stable, Rad?"

Chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His War Tank by Victor Appleton holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His War Tank contain?

Chapter 9 holds 138 sentences of Tom Swift and His War Tank, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His War Tank by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 9 of Tom Swift and His War Tank?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Tom Swift and His War Tank

Common questions about reading Tom Swift and His War Tank by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom Swift and His War Tank?

Yes. All 3128 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #954 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Swift and His War Tank is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #954, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Swift and His War Tank take to read?

About 260 minutes of reading across 626 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom Swift and His War Tank section by section

How to work through Tom Swift and His War Tank section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift and His War Tank to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Tom Swift and His War Tank

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Swift and His War Tank, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ceasing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His War Tank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Restless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His War Tank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Swift
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His War Tank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strode
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His War Tank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.