Chapter 23 of All Adrift is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of All Adrift is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES. "Hold on there! What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack. "We want to see Theodore Dornwood." "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
Chapter 23 of All Adrift is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading “HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.”
a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading “"I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.”
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading “"I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.”
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading “HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.”
the right side of a ship or aircraft to someone who is aboard and facing the bow or nose
From this reading “What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.”
fasten with tacks
From this reading “What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.”
the direction from which the wind is coming
From this reading “"I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
the two together, not just one
From this reading HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We want to see Theodore Dornwood."
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Hold on there!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.
a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "We want to see Theodore Dornwood."
in a vehement outcry
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading HEADED OFF ON BOTH SIDES.
the right side of a ship or aircraft to someone who is aboard and facing the bow or nose
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
fasten with tacks
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We want to see Theodore Dornwood."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Hold on there!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "We want to see Theodore Dornwood."
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "We want to see Theodore Dornwood."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We want to see Theodore Dornwood."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
the direction from which the wind is coming
From this reading "I can't sail dead to windward," replied Pearl.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What are you about?" shouted the officer, as the Goldwing filled away on the starboard tack.
Chapter 23 of All Adrift by Oliver Optic holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 holds 115 sentences of All Adrift, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of All Adrift by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 23 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.
