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Cease Firing
Cease Firing

Chapter XXVII · Cold Harbour

Chapter XXVII of Cease Firing, “Cold Harbour,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
These were the moves of the following two weeks.
Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.
On the eighteenth, the blue attackedagain the salient.
Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.
On the nineteenth, the sidling process recommenced.
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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.

Cease Firing

Chapter XXVII · Cold Harbour

Chapter XXVII of Cease Firing, “Cold Harbour,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
These were the moves of the following two weeks.
/ðiːz wɜːr ðə muːvz ʌv ðə ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ tuː wiːks/
Line 2
Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.
/sɪks deɪz frʌm ðə deɪ ʌv ðə ˈblʌdi ˈæŋɡəl tuː ðə eɪˈtiːnθ ʌv meɪ ðə tuː ˈɑːrmiz steɪd æz ðeɪ wɜːr seɪv fɔːr slaɪt ˈʃɪftɪŋ ˈweri ˈmuːvmənts æz ʌv tuː əˈpoʊzd ˈɪndiənz ɪn ðə brʌʃ/
Line 3
On the eighteenth, the blue attackedagain the salient.
Line 4
Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.
Line 5
On the nineteenth, thesidlingprocess recommenced.

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.

armies noun US /ˈɑːrmiz/

plural of “army” — a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading “Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.”

eighteenth adjective US /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading “Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.”

moves noun US /muːvz/

plural of “move” — the act of deciding to do something

From this reading “These were the moves of the following two weeks.”

nineteenth adjective US /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading “On the nineteenth, the “sidling” process recommenced.”

salient adjective US /ˈseɪliənt/

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

From this reading “On the eighteenth, the blue attacked—again the salient.”

shifting adjective US /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/

continuously varying

From this reading “Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.”

sidling verb US /ˈsaɪdəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “sidle” — move unobtrusively or furtively

From this reading “On the nineteenth, the “sidling” process recommenced.”

wary adjective US /ˈweri/

marked by keen caution and watchful prudence

From this reading “Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.”

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.

Six days noun + noun

In this reading “Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.”

two weeks noun + noun counted as “two week”

In this reading “These were the moves of the following two weeks.”

two armies noun + noun counted as “two army”

In this reading “Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading On the eighteenth, the blue attacked—again the salient.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

AnglenounUS /ˈæŋɡəl/

the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

armiesnounUS /ˈɑːrmiz/

plural of “army” — a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

assaultnounUS /əˈsɔːlt/

close fighting during the culmination of a military attack

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

attackedverbUS /əˈtækt/

past form of “attack” — launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with

From this reading On the eighteenth, the blue attacked—again the salient.

BloodyadjectiveUS /ˈblʌdi/

having or covered with or accompanied by blood

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading On the eighteenth, the blue attacked—again the salient.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

brushverbUS /brʌʃ/

rub with a brush, or as if with a brush

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

eighteenthadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

Ewell

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

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

gunsnounUS /ɡʌnz/

plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

IndiansnounUS /ˈɪndiənz/

plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

movementsnounUS /ˈmuːvmənts/

plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

movesnounUS /muːvz/

plural of “move” — the act of deciding to do something

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading On the nineteenth, the “sidling” process recommenced.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the eighteenth, the blue attacked—again the salient.

opposedadjectiveUS /əˈpoʊzd/

being in opposition or having an opponent

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading On the nineteenth, the “sidling” process recommenced.

recommenced

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

From this reading On the nineteenth, the “sidling” process recommenced.

salientadjectiveUS /ˈseɪliənt/

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

From this reading On the eighteenth, the blue attacked—again the salient.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

scatteredadjectiveUS /ˈskætərd/

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/

continuously varying

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

sidlingverbUS /ˈsaɪdəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “sidle” — move unobtrusively or furtively

From this reading On the nineteenth, the “sidling” process recommenced.

SixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

slightnounUS /slaɪt/

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

stayedverbUS /steɪd/

past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

waryadjectiveUS /ˈweri/

marked by keen caution and watchful prudence

From this reading Six days, from the day of the Bloody Angle to the eighteenth of May, the two armies stayed as they were, save for slight, shifting, wary movements, as of two opposed Indians in the brush.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading These were the moves of the following two weeks.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Ewell, with thirty guns, broke and scattered the assault.

Chapter 27 of Cease Firing by Mary Johnston holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 27 of Cease Firing contain?

Chapter 27 holds 161 sentences of Cease Firing, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of Cease Firing by Mary Johnston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 27 of Cease Firing?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 Cease Firing

Common questions about reading Cease Firing by Mary Johnston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Cease Firing?

Yes. All 11895 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Cease Firing is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52154, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Cease Firing take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2379 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Cease Firing section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Cease Firing

Words and structures a reader meets early in Cease Firing, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Version
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cease Firing; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cannot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cease Firing; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cease Firing; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cease Firing; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.