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 Wizard Camera
Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.
Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.
Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.
"What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.
"I don't know!
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 Wizard Camera

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.
/ˈteləɡræf ˈɔːrdərz ðer wɑːz kənˈfjuːʒən əˈbɔːrd ðə ˈerʃɪp/
Line 2
Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.
Line 3
Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.
Line 4
"What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.
Line 5
"I don't know!

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.

airship noun US /ˈerʃɪp/

a steerable self-propelled aircraft

From this reading “TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.”

apparatus noun US /ˌæpərˈætəs/

equipment designed to serve a specific function

From this reading “Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.”

automatically adverb US /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli/

in a reflex manner

From this reading “Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.”

camera noun US /ˈkæmərə/

equipment for taking photographs (usually consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end and light-sensitive film at the other)

From this reading “Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.”

Damon noun US /ˈdeɪmən/

the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)

From this reading “Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.”

excitedly adverb US /ɪkˈsaɪtədli/

with excitement; in an excited manner

From this reading “"What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.”

Nestor noun US /ˈnestər/

(Greek mythology) a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy

From this reading “Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.”

telegraph noun US /ˈteləɡræf/

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading “TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

aboardadverbUS /əˈbɔːrd/

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

airshipnounUS /ˈerʃɪp/

a steerable self-propelled aircraft

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

alarmedadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmd/

experiencing a sudden sense of danger

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

apparatusnounUS /ˌæpərˈætəs/

equipment designed to serve a specific function

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

automaticallyadverbUS /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli/

in a reflex manner

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

cameranounUS /ˈkæmərə/

equipment for taking photographs (usually consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end and light-sensitive film at the other)

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

craftnounUS /kræft/

the skilled practice of a practical occupation

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.

criesnounUS /kraɪz/

plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

DamonnounUS /ˈdeɪmən/

the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

don't

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

From this reading "I don't know!

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

enginenounUS /ˈendʒən/

motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

excitedlyadverbUS /ɪkˈsaɪtədli/

with excitement; in an excited manner

From this reading "What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I don't know!

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

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!

Koku

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

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

Ned

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

From this reading "What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.

Ned's

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

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

NestornounUS /ˈnestər/

(Greek mythology) a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

ORDERSnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

rushverbUS /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

rushedadjectiveUS /rʌʃt/

done under pressure

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

TELEGRAPHnounUS /ˈteləɡræf/

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading TELEGRAPH ORDERS There was confusion aboard the airship.

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

What's

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

From this reading "What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading "What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.

Chapter 16 of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera by Victor Appleton holds 99 sentences, grouped into 20 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 16 of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera contain?

Chapter 16 holds 99 sentences of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 99 sentences, grouped into 20 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 16 of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Wizard Camera

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

Is this the complete text of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera?

Yes. All 3172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1283 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1283, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera take to read?

About 264 minutes of reading across 635 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera section by section

How to work through Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera 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 Wizard Camera 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 Wizard Camera

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

August
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sometimes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Giant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.