Chapter 12 of Following the Equator is here in full — 520 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Following the Equator is here in full — 520 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Prosperity is the best protector of principle. —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar. EVENING—14th. Sailed in the Rosetta. This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
Chapter 12 of Following the Equator is here in full — 520 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/104 · 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 system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
From this reading “—Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.”
covered by insurance
From this reading “This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.”
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading “Prosperity is the best protector of principle.”
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading “Prosperity is the best protector of principle.”
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading “Prosperity is the best protector of principle.”
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading “Sailed in the Rosetta.”
doomed to extinction
From this reading “This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.”
possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading “—Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EVENING—14th.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading EVENING—14th.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sailed in the Rosetta.
covered by insurance
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sailed in the Rosetta.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading Sailed in the Rosetta.
transport commercially
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
doomed to extinction
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This is a poor old ship, and ought to be insured and sunk.
possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Chapter 12 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain holds 520 sentences, grouped into 104 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 holds 520 sentences of Following the Equator, unabridged, divided into 104 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 520 sentences, grouped into 104 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 104 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 104 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 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.
Common questions about reading Following the Equator by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9162 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2895 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2895, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1833 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Following the Equator section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Following the Equator 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 Following the Equator, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
