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A Year with a Whaler
A Year with a Whaler

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of A Year with a Whaler is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Walter Noble Burns • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Year with a Whaler
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.
When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.
His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.
The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.
The second shot stretched it out dead.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Year with a Whaler

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of A Year with a Whaler is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.
Line 2
When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.
/wen ðə brɪɡ wɑːz wɪˈðɪn ˈfɪfti jɑːrdz ʌv ðem ðə meɪt ɡɑːt aʊt hɪz ˈraɪfəl ənd bɪˈɡæn ˈbleɪzɪŋ əˈweɪ/
Line 3
His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.
/hɪz fɜːrst ʃɑːt strʌk wʌn ʌv ðə berz ɪn ðə haɪnd leɡ/
Line 4
The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.
/ðə ˈænəməl wiːld ənd snæpt æt ðə waʊnd/
Line 5
The second shot stretched it out dead.
/ðə ˈsekənd ʃɑːt stretʃt ɪt aʊt ded/

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.

bears noun US /berz/

plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws

From this reading “BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blazing adjective US /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading “When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brig noun US /brɪɡ/

two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts

From this reading “When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
floe noun US /floʊ/

a flat mass of ice (smaller than an ice field) floating at sea

From this reading “BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hind noun US /haɪnd/

any of several mostly spotted fishes that resemble groupers

From this reading “His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
polar adjective US /ˈpoʊlər/

having a pair of equal and opposite charges

From this reading “BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whale noun US /weɪl/

a very large person; impressive in size or qualities

From this reading “BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wheeled adjective US /wiːld/

having wheels; often used in combination

From this reading “The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

hind leg noun + noun

the back limb of a quadruped

In this reading “His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.”

689 times in 426,211 chapters
fifty yards noun + noun counted as “fifty yard”

In this reading “When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.”

5,034 times in 426,211 chapters
within fifty preposition + noun

In this reading “When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.”

1,068 times in 426,211 chapters
second shot noun + noun

In this reading “The second shot stretched it out dead.”

756 times in 426,211 chapters
got out verb + adjective counted as “get out”

move out of or depart from

In this reading “When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.”

59,859 times in 426,211 chapters
first shot adjective + noun

In this reading “His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.”

1,850 times in 426,211 chapters
after taking preposition + noun

In this reading “BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.”

2,196 times in 426,211 chapters
snapped at verb + particle counted as “snap at”

bite off with a quick bite

In this reading “The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.”

1,837 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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 BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
animalnounUS /ˈænəməl/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BEARSnounUS /berz/

plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brignounUS /brɪɡ/

two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHANGEverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading The second shot stretched it out dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
floenounUS /floʊ/

a flat mass of ice (smaller than an ice field) floating at sea

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hindnounUS /haɪnd/

any of several mostly spotted fishes that resemble groupers

From this reading His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The second shot stretched it out dead.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
legnounUS /leɡ/

a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle

From this reading His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
matenounUS /meɪt/

the officer below the master on a commercial ship

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
polaradjectiveUS /ˈpoʊlər/

having a pair of equal and opposite charges

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rifleverbUS /ˈraɪfəl/

steal goods; take as spoils

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading The second shot stretched it out dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
snappedverbUS /snæpt/

inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

From this reading The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SoonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading The second shot stretched it out dead.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading His first shot struck one of the bears in the hind leg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whalenounUS /weɪl/

a very large person; impressive in size or qualities

From this reading BEARS FOR A CHANGE Soon after taking our third whale, we saw our first polar bears--two of them on a narrow floe of ice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wheeledadjectiveUS /wiːld/

having wheels; often used in combination

From this reading The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
woundnounUS /waʊnd/

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading The animal wheeled and snapped at the wound.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/

plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading When the brig was within fifty yards of them the mate got out his rifle and began blazing away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 21 of A Year with a Whaler by Walter Noble Burns holds 106 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.

What does chapter 21 of A Year with a Whaler contain?

Chapter 21 holds 106 sentences of A Year with a Whaler, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of A Year with a Whaler by Walter Noble Burns exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 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.

How do I study chapter 21 of A Year with a Whaler?

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.

Can chapter 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 A Year with a Whaler

Common questions about reading A Year with a Whaler by Walter Noble Burns on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Year with a Whaler?

Yes. All 2649 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63211 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Year with a Whaler is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63211, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Year with a Whaler take to read?

About 220 minutes of reading across 530 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Year with a Whaler section by section

How to work through A Year with a Whaler 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 A Year with a Whaler

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Year with a Whaler, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Alexander
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Year with a Whaler; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sailed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Year with a Whaler; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Francisco
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Year with a Whaler; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whaling
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Year with a Whaler; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.