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Actions and reactions
Actions and reactions

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of Actions and reactions is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.
She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.
(2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.
(3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.
PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.
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Actions and reactions

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of Actions and reactions is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.
Line 2
She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.
Line 3
(2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.
Line 4
(3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.
Line 5
PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

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.

brakes noun US /breɪks/

a braking device consisting of a combination of interacting parts that work to slow a motor vehicle

From this reading “(3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.”

compounds noun US /ˈkɑːmpaʊndz/

plural of “compound” — a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts

From this reading “PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.”

flux noun US /flʌks/

the rate of flow of energy or particles across a given surface

From this reading “PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.”

formulae noun US /ˈfɔːrmjəleɪ/

plural of “formula” — a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement

From this reading “(3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.”

lulls noun US /lʌlz/

plural of “lull” — a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished

From this reading “L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.”

reversing verb US /rɪˈvɜːrsɪŋ/

-ing form of “reverse” — change to the contrary

From this reading “(2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.”

turnover noun US /ˈtɜːrnoʊvər/

the ratio of the number of workers that had to be replaced in a given time period to the average number of workers

From this reading “(2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.”

unreliable adjective US /ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/

liable to be erroneous or misleading

From this reading “(3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.”

All words in this reading · 79

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.

1

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

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

2

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

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

3

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

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

advantagenounUS /ædˈvæntɪdʒ/

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

brakesnounUS /breɪks/

a braking device consisting of a combination of interacting parts that work to slow a motor vehicle

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

compoundsnounUS /ˈkɑːmpaʊndz/

plural of “compound” — a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

compressibleadjective

capable of being compressed or made more compact

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

continueverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuː/

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

creepverbUS /kriːp/

move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

fluxnounUS /flʌks/

the rate of flow of energy or particles across a given surface

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

formulaenounUS /ˈfɔːrmjəleɪ/

plural of “formula” — a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

gainedverbUS /ɡeɪnd/

past form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

galenounUS /ɡeɪl/

a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

glassnounUS /ɡlæs/

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

head-onadverb

in direct opposition; directly

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

KeepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

lullsnounUS /lʌlz/

plural of “lull” — a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

materialadjectiveUS /məˈtɪriəl/

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

non-hygroscopic

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

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

nose-caps

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

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

PEGAMOID

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

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

PersonallyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrsənəli/

as yourself

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

preferverbUS /prəˈfɜːr/

like better; value more highly

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

quarteringnoun

a coat of arms that occupies one quarter of an escutcheon; combining four coats of arms on one shield usually represented intermarriages

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

reversingverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrsɪŋ/

-ing form of “reverse” — change to the contrary

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

risknounUS /rɪsk/

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

strainnounUS /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

stun'sle

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

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

turnovernounUS /ˈtɜːrnoʊvər/

the ratio of the number of workers that had to be replaced in a given time period to the average number of workers

From this reading (2) Nothing is to be gained by reversing into a following gale, and there is always risk of a turnover.

uniformlyadverbUS /ˈjuːnəfɔːrmli/

in a uniform manner

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

unreliableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/

liable to be erroneous or misleading

From this reading (3) The formulae for stun'sle brakes are uniformly unreliable, and will continue to be so as long as air is compressible.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading L. M. P.--(1) Keep her full head-on at half power, taking advantage of the lulls to speed up and creep into it.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading She will strain much less this way than in quartering across a gale.

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading PEGAMOID--(1) Personally we prefer glass or flux compounds to any other material for winter work nose-caps as being absolutely non-hygroscopic.

Chapter 13 of Actions and reactions by Rudyard Kipling holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 13 of Actions and reactions contain?

Chapter 13 holds 199 sentences of Actions and reactions, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of Actions and reactions by Rudyard Kipling exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 13 of Actions and reactions?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Actions and reactions

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Is this the complete text of Actions and reactions?

Yes. All 4932 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2381 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #2381, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Actions and reactions take to read?

About 411 minutes of reading across 987 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Actions and reactions

Words and structures a reader meets early in Actions and reactions, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Actions and reactions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cause
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Actions and reactions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wrest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Actions and reactions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Folly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Actions and reactions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.