Chapter 25 of Ralph Granger's Fortunes is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXV
Chapter 25 of Ralph Granger's Fortunes is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Second Mate's Story. The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate. He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand. "Come a little closer. The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
Chapter 25 of Ralph Granger's Fortunes is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
projectiles to be fired from a gun
From this reading “The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.”
past form of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading “He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.”
plural of “black” — the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading “The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.”
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading “"Come a little closer.”
a stiff flour pudding steamed or boiled usually and containing e.g. currants and raisins and citron
From this reading “The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.”
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading “The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.”
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading “The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.”
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading “The Second Mate's Story.”
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 He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
projectiles to be fired from a gun
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
past form of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
plural of “black” — the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading "Come a little closer.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come a little closer.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
a stiff flour pudding steamed or boiled usually and containing e.g. currants and raisins and citron
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Come a little closer.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Second Mate's Story.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The Second Mate's Story.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The Second Mate's Story.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Second Mate's Story.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their ammunition.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.
Chapter 25 of Ralph Granger's Fortunes by William Perry Brown holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 25 holds 136 sentences of Ralph Granger's Fortunes, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 25 of Ralph Granger's Fortunes by William Perry Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 25 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 Ralph Granger's Fortunes by William Perry Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3345 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18683 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18683, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 278 minutes of reading across 669 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ralph Granger's Fortunes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Ralph Granger's Fortunes 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 Ralph Granger's Fortunes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
