Chapter 1 of Afloat is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Afloat is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The New York Book Co. "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!" "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand." "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?" "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
Chapter 1 of Afloat is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
British general in the American Revolution who captured Fort Ticonderoga but lost the battle of Saratoga in 1777 (1722-1792)
From this reading “"It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.”
valuable tough heavy hardwood from various hickory trees
From this reading “"Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."”
possessive form of “name” — a language unit by which a person or thing is known
From this reading “"It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.”
planned or scheduled for some certain time or times
From this reading “"Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."”
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “"Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."”
correct by punishment or discipline
From this reading “"Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"”
a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes
From this reading “"It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.”
a group of soldiers
From this reading “"Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."”
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 "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading The New York Book Co.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
British general in the American Revolution who captured Fort Ticonderoga but lost the battle of Saratoga in 1777 (1722-1792)
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading The New York Book Co.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
an old form of “has”
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
valuable tough heavy hardwood from various hickory trees
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
possessive form of “name” — a language unit by which a person or thing is known
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The New York Book Co.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
planned or scheduled for some certain time or times
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
in the near future
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
be standing; be upright
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
carry out
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
correct by punishment or discipline
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The New York Book Co.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
On the present night.
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
a group of soldiers
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Elmer said we'd take a vote on it!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
in or at the place that
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, and tonight the next regular meeting of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout Troop is scheduled to take place, so we'll soon know where we stand."
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading The New York Book Co.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Thith hath been a pretty tame thummer for the cwowd, all told, don't you think, Lil Artha?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "It certainly has, as sure as your name's Ted Burgoyne.
Chapter 1 of Afloat by Alan, Captain Douglas holds 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 1 holds 103 sentences of Afloat, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Afloat by Alan, Captain Douglas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 1 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 Afloat by Alan, Captain Douglas on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Afloat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Afloat 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 Afloat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
