Chapter 13 of Four Afloat is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Four Afloat is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“By Jove!” murmured Bob. “Then you think—?” began Dan. “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.” “But—!” exclaimed Bob. Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.
Chapter 13 of Four Afloat is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading ““I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.””
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading ““I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.””
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading ““I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.””
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading ““By Jove!” murmured Bob.”
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading ““I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.””
English philosopher and sociologist who applied the theory of natural selection to human societies (1820-1903)
From this reading ““I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.””
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading ““I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.””
having intellectual depth
From this reading “Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.”
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 “Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.”
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.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Then you think—?” began Dan.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “By Jove!” murmured Bob.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But—!” exclaimed Bob.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “By Jove!” murmured Bob.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Then you think—?” began Dan.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “But—!” exclaimed Bob.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
(Roman mythology) supreme god of Romans; counterpart of Greek Zeus
From this reading “By Jove!” murmured Bob.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading “By Jove!” murmured Bob.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
cut with a saw
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
English philosopher and sociologist who applied the theory of natural selection to human societies (1820-1903)
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then you think—?” began Dan.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Then you think—?” began Dan.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
having intellectual depth
From this reading Then he stopped and looked thoughtful.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading “I think that the _Henry Nellis_ happened along this morning, saw Spencer Floyd out there in the tender, took him aboard and knocked holes in our boat in the hope of sinking her.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Then you think—?” began Dan.
Chapter 13 of Four Afloat by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 13 holds 253 sentences of Four Afloat, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Four Afloat by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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 13 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 Four Afloat by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4967 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37021 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37021, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 413 minutes of reading across 994 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Four Afloat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Four Afloat 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 Four Afloat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
