Dick Rodney

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Dick Rodney is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James Grant • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AN INCIDENT.

By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

I could heave the log, box the compass, and take my "trick" at the helm with the best man on board, and thus gained the golden opinions of those among whom a rough turn of the wheel of fortune had so strangely and so suddenly cast me.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XII Reading 1/8

Dick Rodney James Grant

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Dick Rodney is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

AN INCIDENT. By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship. I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze. I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line. I could heave the log, box the compass, and take my "trick" at the helm with the best man on board, and thus gained the golden opinions of those among whom a rough turn of the wheel of fortune had so strangely and so suddenly cast me.

Dick Rodney

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Dick Rodney is here in full — 40 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AN INCIDENT.

/æn ˈɪnsədənt/

Line 2

By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

Line 3

I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

Line 4

I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

Line 5

/aɪ kʊd hiːv ðə lɔːɡ bɑːks ðə ˈkʌmpəs ənd teɪk maɪ trɪk æt ðə helm wɪð ðə best mæn ɑːn bɔːrd ənd ðʌs ɡeɪnd ðə ˈɡoʊldən əˈpɪnjənz ʌv ðoʊz əˈmʌŋ huːm ə rʌf tɜːrn ʌv ðə wiːl ʌv ˈfɔːrtʃən hæd soʊ ˈstreɪndʒli ənd soʊ ˈsʌdənli kæst miː/

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.

assiduously adverb US /əˈsɪdwəsli/

with care and persistence

From this reading “By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.”

compass noun US /ˈkʌmpəs/

navigational instrument for finding directions

From this reading “I could heave the log, box the compass, and take my "trick" at the helm with the best man on board, and thus gained the golden opinions of those among whom a rough turn of the wheel of fortune had so strangely and so suddenly cast me.”

heave verb US /hiːv/

utter a sound, as with obvious effort

helm noun US /helm/

steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered

mysteries noun US /ˈmɪstəriz/

plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading “I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.”

serving noun US /ˈsɜːrvɪŋ/

an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

From this reading “I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.”

splicing noun US /ˈsplaɪsɪŋ/

a junction where two things (as paper or film or magnetic tape) have been joined together

From this reading “I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.”

technical adjective US /ˈteknɪkəl/

of or relating to technique or proficiency in a practical skill

From this reading “I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.”

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.

picked up verb + adjective counted as “pick up”

take and lift upward

In this reading “By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.”

on board preposition + noun

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

In this reading “I could heave the log, box the compass, and take my "trick" at the helm with the best man on board, and thus gained the golden opinions of those among whom a rough turn of the wheel of fortune had so strangely and so suddenly cast me.”

at the helm preposition + article + noun counted as “at … helm”

go aloft verb + particle

In this reading “I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.”

golden opinions adjective + noun counted as “golden opinion”

at sea preposition + noun

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

In this reading “By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

acquiredadjectiveUS /əˈkwaɪərd/

gotten through environmental forces

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

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 acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading I could heave the log, box the compass, and take my "trick" at the helm with the best man on board, and thus gained the golden opinions of those among whom a rough turn of the wheel of fortune had so strangely and so suddenly cast me.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN INCIDENT.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

appliedadjectiveUS /əˈplaɪd/

concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

assiduouslyadverbUS /əˈsɪdwəsli/

with care and persistence

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

breezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

compassnounUS /ˈkʌmpəs/

navigational instrument for finding directions

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

differencenounUS /ˈdɪfərəns/

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

gainedverbUS /ɡeɪnd/

past form of “gain” — obtain

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

heaveverbUS /hiːv/

utter a sound, as with obvious effort

helmnounUS /helm/

steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

INCIDENTnounUS /ˈɪnsədənt/

a single distinct event

From this reading AN INCIDENT.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

knotting

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

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

logverbUS /lɔːɡ/

enter into a log, as on ships and planes

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

mysteriesnounUS /ˈmɪstəriz/

plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

opinionsnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/

plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

pickedverbUS /pɪkt/

past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

ropenounUS /roʊp/

a strong line

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

roughadjectiveUS /rʌf/

having or caused by an irregular surface

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

seamanshipnoun

skill in sailing

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

servingnounUS /ˈsɜːrvɪŋ/

an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

splicingnounUS /ˈsplaɪsɪŋ/

a junction where two things (as paper or film or magnetic tape) have been joined together

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

spun-yarn

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

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

stiffadjectiveUS /stɪf/

not moving or operating freely

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

strangelyadverbUS /ˈstreɪndʒli/

in a strange manner

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

technicaladjectiveUS /ˈteknɪkəl/

of or relating to technique or proficiency in a practical skill

From this reading I acquired all the mysteries of knotting and splicing, of serving a rope with spun-yarn, and to know the technical difference between the _rope_ itself and a line.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

topgallantnoun

a sail set on a yard of a topgallant mast

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

tricknounUS /trɪk/

a cunning or deceitful action or device

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

wheelverbUS /wiːl/

change directions as if revolving on a pivot

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading By the time we had been a month at sea, having applied myself assiduously to work, I picked up a little knowledge of seamanship.

yardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading I took my turn of watch with the rest; I learned to go aloft and to lay out upon a yard in a stiff topgallant breeze.

Chapter 12 of Dick Rodney by James Grant holds 40 sentences, grouped into 8 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 12 of Dick Rodney contain?

Chapter 12 holds 40 sentences of Dick Rodney, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Dick Rodney by James Grant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 40 sentences, grouped into 8 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 12 of Dick Rodney?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.

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Chapter XII

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