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Isles of the sea
Isles of the sea

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Isles of the sea is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.
The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.
It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.
All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.
I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Isles of the sea

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Isles of the sea is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.
Line 2
The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.
/ðə saʊnd ʌv ðə bel wɑːz hɜːrd əˈɡen ɪn ə fjuː ˈmɪnəts/
Line 3
It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.
/ɪt hæd ə ˈhevi ənd dʌl toʊn ənˈlaɪk ðæt ʌv ðə belz ʌv ðə ˈskuːnərz/
Line 4
All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.
Line 5
I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

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.

attentively adverb US /əˈtentɪvli/

with attention; in an attentive manner

From this reading “All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.”

bell noun US /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading “The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.”

bells noun US /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading “It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.”

dull adjective US /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading “It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.”

O'Hara noun US /oʊˈherə/

United States writer (1905-1970)

schooners noun US /ˈskuːnərz/

plural of “schooner” — a large beer glass

From this reading “It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.”

unlike adjective US /ənˈlaɪk/

marked by dissimilarity

From this reading “It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.”

wreck noun US /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.”

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.

listened attentively verb + particle counted as “listen attentively”

In this reading “All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.”

few minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.”

dozen times noun + noun

In this reading ““I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

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 All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

attentivelyadverbUS /əˈtentɪvli/

with attention; in an attentive manner

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

bellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

bellsnounUS /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

Capt

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

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

CASTLEnounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.

consorts

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

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

d'Angers

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

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

O'HaranounUS /oʊˈherə/

United States writer (1905-1970)

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

schoonersnounUS /ˈskuːnərz/

plural of “schooner” — a large beer glass

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/

marked by dissimilarity

From this reading It had a heavy and dull tone, unlike that of the bells of the schooners.

Ville

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

From this reading All hands on the Ville d’Angers listened attentively to the sound.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The sound of the bell was heard again in a few minutes.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “I think it must be the bell of one of the consorts,” said Capt. O’Hara, when he had heard the bell at least a dozen times.

WILLIAM

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

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.

WRECKnounUS /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading THE WRECK OF THE CASTLE WILLIAM.

Chapter 14 of Isles of the sea by Oliver Optic holds 183 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.

What does chapter 14 of Isles of the sea contain?

Chapter 14 holds 183 sentences of Isles of the sea, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Isles of the sea by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 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.

How do I study chapter 14 of Isles of the sea?

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.

Can chapter 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.

Questions about reading Isles of the sea

Common questions about reading Isles of the sea by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Isles of the sea?

Yes. All 4955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74943 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Isles of the sea is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74943, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Isles of the sea take to read?

About 412 minutes of reading across 991 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Isles of the sea section by section

How to work through Isles of the sea section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Isles of the sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in Isles of the sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Isles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Homeward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.