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An Annapolis First Classman
An Annapolis First Classman

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of An Annapolis First Classman is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
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THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.
"Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.
"I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.
"I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.
I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.
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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.

An Annapolis First Classman

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of An Annapolis First Classman is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.
/ðə ɡeɪts ˈfɔːrwərd pæs ðə ˌkɑːmənˈdɑːnt wɑːz ˌɪnˈklaɪnd tuː meɪk ˈlɪtəl ʌv ðə ˈɪnsədənt ʌv ðæt ˈfraɪdi naɪt/
Line 2
"Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.
Line 3
"I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.
Line 4
"I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.
Line 5
I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

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.

attempting verb US /əˈtemptɪŋ/

-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt

From this reading “I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.”

commandant noun US /ˌkɑːmənˈdɑːnt/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading “THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.”

Friday noun US /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading “THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.”

incident noun US /ˈɪnsədənt/

a single distinct event

From this reading “THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.”

joke noun US /dʒoʊk/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading “"Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.”

midshipman's noun US /ˈmɪdˈʃɪpmənz/

possessive form of “midshipman” — a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training

From this reading “"Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.”

simulated adjective US /ˈsɪmjəleɪtɪd/

not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article

From this reading “"I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.”

theory noun US /ˈθɪri/

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading “I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “"Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.”

lower floor verb + noun

In this reading “I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.”

descended from verb + particle counted as “descend from”

In this reading “I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.”

about the matter preposition + article + noun counted as “about … matter”

In this reading “I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

anybodypronounUS /ˈenibədi/

any person at all

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/

-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

commandantnounUS /ˌkɑːmənˈdɑːnt/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

confessverbUS /kənˈfes/

confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

descendedverbUS /dɪˈsendəd/

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

don't

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

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

FORWARDadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

GATESnounUS /ɡeɪts/

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

I'm

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

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

incidentnounUS /ˈɪnsədənt/

a single distinct event

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

inclinedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪnd/

(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

jokenounUS /dʒoʊk/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

lossnounUS /lɔːs/

something that is lost

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

midshipman'snounUS /ˈmɪdˈʃɪpmənz/

possessive form of “midshipman” — a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

officer-in-charge

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

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

PASSverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Just a midshipman's joke," he said next morning to the officer-in-charge.

simulatedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmjəleɪtɪd/

not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

theorynounUS /ˈθɪri/

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

tonesnounUS /toʊnz/

plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice

From this reading "I don't believe anybody could have simulated the horror of those tones.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading I confess I have no theory about the matter and I'm at an utter loss in attempting to account for the way the cry descended from the upper to the lower floor, for it certainly did do that.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE GATES FORWARD PASS The commandant was inclined to make little of the incident of that Friday night.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "I don't feel that way at all," replied that officer.

Chapter 6 of An Annapolis First Classman by Edward L. (Edward Latimer) Beach holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 6 of An Annapolis First Classman contain?

Chapter 6 holds 121 sentences of An Annapolis First Classman, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of An Annapolis First Classman by Edward L. (Edward Latimer) Beach exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 6 of An Annapolis First Classman?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 An Annapolis First Classman

Common questions about reading An Annapolis First Classman by Edward L. (Edward Latimer) Beach on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of An Annapolis First Classman?

Yes. All 3757 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40368 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of An Annapolis First Classman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40368, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does An Annapolis First Classman take to read?

About 313 minutes of reading across 752 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read An Annapolis First Classman section by section

How to work through An Annapolis First Classman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of An Annapolis First Classman to begin.

  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 An Annapolis First Classman

Words and structures a reader meets early in An Annapolis First Classman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fourth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Annapolis First Classman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Annapolis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Annapolis First Classman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Annapolis First Classman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Purpose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Annapolis First Classman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.