Chapter 12 of All Adrift is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of All Adrift is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A ROUGH TIME OF IT. The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind. Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale. "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet. "No, Thad!
Chapter 12 of All Adrift is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
strike violently
From this reading “Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.”
dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
From this reading “"Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.”
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading “"Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.”
move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
From this reading “Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.”
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading “Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.”
draw slowly or heavily
From this reading “"Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.”
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
From this reading “The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.”
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading “Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.”
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 A ROUGH TIME OF IT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
strike violently
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
draw slowly or heavily
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A ROUGH TIME OF IT.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, Thad!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A ROUGH TIME OF IT.
with little or no delay
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading A ROUGH TIME OF IT.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
Identical; not different.
From this reading "Now haul in, Corny!" said Dory, as he did the same by the main-sheet.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, Thad!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A ROUGH TIME OF IT.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Both of the sails began to flap and bang in the fierce gale.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The instant the helm was put down, the head of the boat promptly swung up in the direction of the wind.
Chapter 12 of All Adrift by Oliver Optic holds 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 12 holds 130 sentences of All Adrift, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of All Adrift by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 12 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 All Adrift by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3924 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25577 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25577, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 327 minutes of reading across 785 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through All Adrift section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of All Adrift 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 All Adrift, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
