Chapter II of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman, “The Key,” is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter II of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman, “The Key,” is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill. “Reckon the Old Man got his wish. One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?” “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm. “We’ll soon know more about it.
Chapter II of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman, “The Key,” is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading ““Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.”
a feeling of excitement
From this reading ““Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.”
plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading “One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?””
marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters
From this reading “One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?””
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading ““Reckon the Old Man got his wish.”
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading ““Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.”
a male human offspring
From this reading ““Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.”
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading ““Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.”
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.
a man who is very old
In this reading ““Reckon the Old Man got his wish.”
In this reading ““Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.”
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 “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “We’ll soon know more about it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
a feeling of excitement
From this reading “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “We’ll soon know more about it.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “We’ll soon know more about it.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters
From this reading One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.
a male human offspring
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
in the near future
From this reading “We’ll soon know more about it.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We’ll soon know more about it.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “Reckon the Old Man got his wish.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm.
Chapter 2 of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman by Noel Sainsbury holds 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 2 holds 144 sentences of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman by Noel Sainsbury exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 2 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 Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman by Noel Sainsbury on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2991 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35858 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35858, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 249 minutes of reading across 599 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman 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 Bill Bolton—Flying Midshipman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
