Chapter 20 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED. The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment. "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed. "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone. "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
Chapter 20 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading “BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.”
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading “The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.”
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading “BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.”
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading “The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.”
a unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns
From this reading “"You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.”
something written by hand
From this reading “"The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."”
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading “The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.”
joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
From this reading “The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.”
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.
In this reading “The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.”
In this reading “"The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."”
In this reading “The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.”
In this reading “"You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
make calm or still
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
a unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
something written by hand
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
and nothing more
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading BAFFLED, BUT NOT DISCOURAGED.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
on the contrary
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
Identical; not different.
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The triumphant look on the face of James Grey faded, and was replaced by one of baffled rage and disappointment.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading "It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone.
Chapter 20 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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.
Chapter 20 holds 110 sentences of Tom, The Bootblack, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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.
Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.
Common questions about reading Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4823 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 401 minutes of reading across 965 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom, The Bootblack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Tom, The Bootblack to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom, The Bootblack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
