Chapter 29 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIX
Chapter 29 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear. It was a dead leaf. Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared. Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches. Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
Chapter 29 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
an old word for “between”
From this reading “Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.”
in a cheerless manner
From this reading “Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.”
past form of “flutter” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading “GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.”
inflected form of “gas” — attack with gas; subject to gas fumes
From this reading “GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.”
a strong current of air
From this reading “Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.”
past form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.”
at the same instant
From this reading “Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.”
past form of “whisk” — move somewhere quickly
From this reading “Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.”
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.
In this reading “Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.”
In this reading “Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.”
In this reading “It was a dead leaf.”
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 It was a dead leaf.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
an old word for “between”
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading It was a dead leaf.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.
in a cheerless manner
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
past form of “flutter” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
inflected form of “gas” — attack with gas; subject to gas fumes
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
a strong current of air
From this reading Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a dead leaf.
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading It was a dead leaf.
past form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
at the same instant
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
not in physical motion
From this reading Hitherto the air had been heavy and still.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading GASSED SOMETHING fluttered past the flight-sub's ear.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a dead leaf.
past form of “whisk” — move somewhere quickly
From this reading Whisked by a sudden gust it disappeared.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Simultaneously the wind moaned dismally betwixt the gaunt branches.
Chapter 29 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 125 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.
Chapter 29 holds 125 sentences of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S., unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 29 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 29 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 Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5519 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35362 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35362, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 459 minutes of reading across 1104 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. 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 Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
