Chapter XXI of Four Afloat, “Tells of the Search for the _Vagabond_,” is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXI of Four Afloat, “Tells of the Search for the _Vagabond_,” is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom. “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly. “Of course we’re sure.” “Then—where is she?” “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
Chapter XXI of Four Afloat, “Tells of the Search for the _Vagabond_,” is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
replying
From this reading ““Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading ““Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.”
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading ““Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.”
insanely irresponsible
From this reading ““Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.”
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
From this reading ““Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.”
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading ““Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.”
for a short time
From this reading ““Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.”
having a supporting base
From this reading ““Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading ““Of course we’re sure.””
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 “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
replying
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “Of course we’re sure.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
insanely irresponsible
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Then—where is she?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Of course we’re sure.”
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Then—where is she?”
for a short time
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
having a supporting base
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then—where is she?”
male cat
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t be a fool, Tommy, if you can help it,” answered Bob shortly.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Of course we’re sure.”
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Then—where is she?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Are you sure you left her here?” asked Tom.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Well, if we knew we wouldn’t be standing here answering your idiotic questions,” replied Nelson.
Chapter 21 of Four Afloat by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 21 holds 184 sentences of Four Afloat, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Four Afloat by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 37 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 21 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.
