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Tom, The Bootblack
Tom, The Bootblack

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
UNCLE AND NEPHEW.
Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.
"Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.
"That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.
But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom, The Bootblack

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
UNCLE AND NEPHEW.
/ˈʌŋkəl ənd ˈnefjuː/
Line 2
Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.
/ˈaʊər ˈhɪroʊ stɑːpt ʃɔːrt ənd ˈbiːɪŋ dərˈektli ɪn ðə pæθ ʌv hɪz ˈʌŋkəl ðə ˈlætər wɑːz kəmˈpeld tuː stɑːp tuː/
Line 3
"Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.
/ˈmɪstər ɡreɪ sed ˈɡɪlbərt/
Line 4
"That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.
Line 5
But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.
/bʌt æz hiː spoʊk hiː lʊkt æt hɪm ənd ˈɪnstəntli ˈrekəɡnaɪzd hɪm/

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.

addressed adjective US /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading “"That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.”

compelled verb US /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading “Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.”

directly adverb US /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading “Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.”

Gilbert noun US /ˈɡɪlbərt/

a unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns

From this reading “"Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.”

hero noun US /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading “Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.”

instantly adverb US /ˈɪnstəntli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading “But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.”

nephew noun US /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading “UNCLE AND NEPHEW.”

recognized adjective US /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading “But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

instantly recognized adverb + adjective

In this reading “But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.”

particular notice adjective + noun

In this reading “"That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.”

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading UNCLE AND NEPHEW.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

GilbertnounUS /ˈɡɪlbərt/

a unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns

From this reading "Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.

GreyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading "Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

instantlyadverbUS /ˈɪnstəntli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

NEPHEWnounUS /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading UNCLE AND NEPHEW.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Mr. Grey," said Gilbert.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading But, as he spoke, he looked at him, and instantly recognized him.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

That's

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

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

UNCLEnounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading UNCLE AND NEPHEW.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Our hero stopped short, and, being directly in the path of his uncle, the latter was compelled to stop, too.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading "That's my name," said the other, who had not yet taken particular notice of the youth who addressed him.

Chapter 18 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 125 sentences, grouped into 25 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, 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 18 of Tom, The Bootblack contain?

Chapter 18 holds 125 sentences of Tom, The Bootblack, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 18 of Tom, The Bootblack?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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, The Bootblack

Common questions about reading Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom, The Bootblack?

Yes. All 4823 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom, The Bootblack is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom, The Bootblack take to read?

About 401 minutes of reading across 965 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom, The Bootblack section by section

How to work through Tom, The Bootblack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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, The Bootblack

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom, The Bootblack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Introducing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bootblack
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jacob
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.