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Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/87 · 5 lines
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A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.
First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.
Nothing short of perfection will do.
That faculty is memory.
He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Life on the Mississippi

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.
/ə ˈpaɪləts niːdz bʌt aɪ æm ˈwɑːndərɪŋ frʌm wʌt aɪ wɑːz ˌɪnˈtendɪŋ tuː duː ðæt ɪz meɪk ˈpleɪnər ðæn pərˈhæps əˈpɪrz ɪn ðə ˈpriːviəs ˈtʃæptərz sʌm ʌv ðə pəˈkjuːljər rɪˈkwaɪrmənts ʌv ðə ˈsaɪəns ʌv ˈpaɪlətɪŋ/
Line 2
First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.
/fɜːrst ʌv ɔːl ðer ɪz wʌn ˈfækəlti wɪtʃ ə ˈpaɪlət mʌst ˌɪnˈsesəntli ˈkʌltəveɪt ənˈtɪl hiː hæz brɔːt ɪt tuː ˈæbsəluːt pərˈfekʃən/
Line 3
Nothing short of perfection will do.
/ˈnʌθɪŋ ʃɔːrt ʌv pərˈfekʃən wɪl duː/
Line 4
That faculty is memory.
/ðæt ˈfækəlti ɪz ˈmem.ər.i/
Line 5
He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

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.

chapters noun US /ˈtʃæptərz/

plural of “chapter” — a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading “A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.”

cultivate verb US /ˈkʌltəveɪt/

foster the growth of

From this reading “First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.”

eminently adverb US /ˈemənəntli/

in an eminent manner

From this reading “He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.”

Pilot's noun US /ˈpaɪləts/

possessive form of “pilot” — someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight

From this reading “A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.”

piloting noun US /ˈpaɪlətɪŋ/

the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place

From this reading “A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.”

plainer adjective US /ˈpleɪnər/

comparative of “plain” — clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading “A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.”

requirements noun US /rɪˈkwaɪrmənts/

plural of “requirement” — required activity

From this reading “A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.”

sciences noun US /ˈsaɪənsəz/

plural of “science” — a particular branch of scientific knowledge

From this reading “He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

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 First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

appearsverbUS /əˈpɪrz/

third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

BUTconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

cannot

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

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

chaptersnounUS /ˈtʃæptərz/

plural of “chapter” — a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

cultivateverbUS /ˈkʌltəveɪt/

foster the growth of

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

eminentlyadverbUS /ˈemənəntli/

in an eminent manner

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/

Strictly particular and correct.

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

facultynounUS /ˈfækəlti/

one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

incessantlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsesəntli/

with unflagging resolve

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

intendingverbUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪŋ/

-ing form of “intend” — have in mind as a purpose

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading That faculty is memory.

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

NeedsadverbUS /niːdz/

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing short of perfection will do.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

perfectionnounUS /pərˈfekʃən/

the state of being without a flaw or defect

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

pilotverbUS /ˈpaɪlət/

operate an airplane

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

Pilot'snounUS /ˈpaɪləts/

possessive form of “pilot” — someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

pilotingnounUS /ˈpaɪlətɪŋ/

the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

plaineradjectiveUS /ˈpleɪnər/

comparative of “plain” — clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

previousadjectiveUS /ˈpriːviəs/

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

requirementsnounUS /rɪˈkwaɪrmənts/

plural of “requirement” — required activity

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

sciencenounUS /ˈsaɪəns/

a particular branch of scientific knowledge

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

sciencesnounUS /ˈsaɪənsəz/

plural of “science” — a particular branch of scientific knowledge

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Nothing short of perfection will do.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

wanderingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/

migratory

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading A Pilot's Needs BUT I am wandering from what I was intending to do, that is, make plainer than perhaps appears in the previous chapters, some of the peculiar requirements of the science of piloting.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading First of all, there is one faculty which a pilot must incessantly cultivate until he has brought it to absolute perfection.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Nothing short of perfection will do.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He cannot stop with merely thinking a thing is so and so; he must know it; for this is eminently one of the 'exact' sciences.

Chapter 6 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain holds 439 sentences, grouped into 88 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.

What does chapter 6 of Life on the Mississippi contain?

Chapter 6 holds 439 sentences of Life on the Mississippi, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 439 sentences, grouped into 88 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 6 of Life on the Mississippi?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Life on the Mississippi

Common questions about reading Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Life on the Mississippi?

Yes. All 6352 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #245 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Life on the Mississippi is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #245, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Life on the Mississippi take to read?

About 529 minutes of reading across 1271 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Life on the Mississippi section by section

How to work through Life on the Mississippi section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Life on the Mississippi to begin.

  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Life on the Mississippi

Words and structures a reader meets early in Life on the Mississippi, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chimney
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Panorama
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Undying
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peboan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.