Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clarence Young • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

GREAT PREPARATIONS Watching him from the security of their trench, Ned, Bob, and Jerry, their comrades, and the officers on duty, could scarcely believe their eyes as they saw what had happened.

Yet there was no delusion about it.

Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

"Three prisoners!

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXIII Reading 1/30

Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line Clarence Young

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

GREAT PREPARATIONS Watching him from the security of their trench, Ned, Bob, and Jerry, their comrades, and the officers on duty, could scarcely believe their eyes as they saw what had happened. Yet there was no delusion about it. Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners. As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns. "Three prisoners!

Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

GREAT PREPARATIONS Watching him from the security of their trench, Ned, Bob, and Jerry, their comrades, and the officers on duty, could scarcely believe their eyes as they saw what had happened.

Line 2

Yet there was no delusion about it.

/jet ðer wɑːz noʊ dɪˈluːʒən əˈbaʊt ɪt/

Line 3

Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

Line 4

As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

/æz bɑːb sed ˈæftərwərd ɪt wɑːz laɪk ðə ˈædvərtaɪzmənts ʌv ðə ˈsɜːrkəs wɪtʃ ˈboʊstəd ʌv θriː rɪŋz ənd ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl klaʊnz/

Line 5

"Three prisoners!

/θriː ˈprɪzənərz/

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.

advertisements noun US /ˈædvərtaɪzmənts/

plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading “As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.”

boasted verb US /ˈboʊstəd/

past form of “boast” — show off

From this reading “As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.”

clowns noun US /klaʊnz/

plural of “clown” — a rude or vulgar fool

From this reading “As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.”

delusion noun US /dɪˈluːʒən/

(psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary

From this reading “Yet there was no delusion about it.”

innumerable adjective US /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading “As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.”

trench noun US /trentʃ/

a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading “GREAT PREPARATIONS Watching him from the security of their trench, Ned, Bob, and Jerry, their comrades, and the officers on duty, could scarcely believe their eyes as they saw what had happened.”

trenches noun US /ˈtrentʃɪz/

plural of “trench” — a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading “Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.”

venturing verb US /ˈventʃərɪŋ/

-ing form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

From this reading “Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

advertisementsnounUS /ˈædvərtaɪzmənts/

plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

afterwardadverbUS /ˈæftərwərd/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading GREAT PREPARATIONS Watching him from the security of their trench, Ned, Bob, and Jerry, their comrades, and the officers on duty, could scarcely believe their eyes as they saw what had happened.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

boastedverbUS /ˈboʊstəd/

past form of “boast” — show off

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

clownsnounUS /klaʊnz/

plural of “clown” — a rude or vulgar fool

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

comradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/

plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

delusionnounUS /dɪˈluːʒən/

(psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

GREATadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

JerrynounUS /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

LandnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

Man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

Ned

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

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

PREPARATIONSnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose

prisonersnounUS /ˈprɪzənərz/

plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

ProfessornounUS /prəˈfesər/

someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

rashlyadverb

in a hasty and foolhardy manner

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

ringsnounUS /rɪŋz/

gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

securitynounUS /sɪˈkjʊrəti/

the state of being free from danger or injury

Snodgrass

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

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

trenchnounUS /trentʃ/

a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

trenchesnounUS /ˈtrentʃɪz/

plural of “trench” — a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

venturingverbUS /ˈventʃərɪŋ/

-ing form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

WatchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man's Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet there was no delusion about it.

Chapter 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line by Clarence Young holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line contain?

Chapter 23 holds 154 sentences of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 23 of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line

Common questions about reading Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 3365 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28442 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #28442, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 280 minutes of reading across 673 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Motor: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

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