Chapter 17 of From Billabong to London is here in full — 295 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of From Billabong to London is here in full — 295 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHAT THE MORNING BROUGHT. DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast. Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible. It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck. Dawn was breaking.
Chapter 17 of From Billabong to London is here in full — 295 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/59 · 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.
the act of breaking something
From this reading “Dawn was breaking.”
the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom
From this reading “Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.”
the first light of day
From this reading “Dawn was breaking.”
provoking horror
From this reading “Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.”
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading “Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.”
(Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster
past form of “troop” — march in a procession
From this reading “It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.”
lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria
From this reading “Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.”
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 “It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.”
In this reading “DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.”
In this reading “Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.”
In this reading “DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.”
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 Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
the act of breaking something
From this reading Dawn was breaking.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading WHAT THE MORNING BROUGHT.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
the first light of day
From this reading Dawn was breaking.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.
take in solid food
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
provoking horror
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading WHAT THE MORNING BROUGHT.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
above and across; more than
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
(Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
with speed
From this reading It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
not in physical motion
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHAT THE MORNING BROUGHT.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
past form of “troop” — march in a procession
From this reading It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.
lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was quickly over, and they trooped on deck.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Most of them were heavy-eyed and pale; but they made a brave effort at cheerfulness and tried to eat—never had a meal seemed so unreal and horrible.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT THE MORNING BROUGHT.
at the time that
From this reading DARKNESS still hung over the sea when the little company on the _Perseus_ met at breakfast.
Chapter 17 of From Billabong to London by Mary Grant Bruce holds 295 sentences, grouped into 59 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 17 holds 295 sentences of From Billabong to London, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of From Billabong to London by Mary Grant Bruce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 295 sentences, grouped into 59 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 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 59 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 17 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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About 474 minutes of reading across 1140 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in From Billabong to London, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
