Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Ready About
Ready About

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of Ready About is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Ready About
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.
"My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.
"Dory can teach his own flock now."
"But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.
"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Ready About

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of Ready About is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.
/ˈsteɪʃənz fɔːr ˈɡetɪŋ ˈʌndər weɪ/
Line 2
"My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.
Line 3
"Dory can teach his own flock now."
/ˈdɔːri kæn tiːtʃ hɪz oʊn flɑːk naʊ/
Line 4
"But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.
Line 5
"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

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.

Dory noun US /ˈdɔːri/

a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled

From this reading “"Dory can teach his own flock now."”

excursion noun US /ɪkˈskɜːrʒən/

a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading “"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.”

lecture verb US /ˈlektʃər/

deliver a lecture or talk

From this reading “"My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.”

remnant noun US /ˈremnənt/

a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists

From this reading “"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.”

stations noun US /ˈsteɪʃənz/

(Roman Catholic Church) a devotion consisting of fourteen prayers said before a series of fourteen pictures or carvings representing successive incidents during Jesus' passage from Pilate's house to his crucifixion at Calvary

From this reading “STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.”

students noun US /ˈstuːdənts/

plural of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading “"My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.”

vicinity noun US /vəˈsɪnəti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading “"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.”

wharf noun US /wɔːrf/

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats

From this reading “"My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.”

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.

in the vicinity preposition + article + noun counted as “in … vicinity”

In this reading “"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.”

on the wharf preposition + article + noun counted as “on … wharf”

In this reading “"My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.”

remain in verb + particle

In this reading “"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.”

on the lake preposition + article + noun counted as “on … lake”

In this reading “"The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.”

UNDER WAY preposition + noun

in motion; set in motion

In this reading “STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

classnounUS /klæs/

a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

ClubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

DorynounUS /ˈdɔːri/

a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

excursionnounUS /ɪkˈskɜːrʒən/

a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

flocknounUS /flɑːk/

a church congregation guided by a pastor

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.

GETTINGnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.

Glovering

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

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

interposed

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

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

lakenounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

lectureverbUS /ˈlektʃər/

deliver a lecture or talk

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

Nautifelers

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

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

occupationnounUS /ˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

Othello's

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

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

principalnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

remainverbUS /rɪˈmeɪn/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

remarknounUS /rɪˈmɑːrk/

a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

remnantnounUS /ˈremnənt/

a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

STATIONSnounUS /ˈsteɪʃənz/

(Roman Catholic Church) a devotion consisting of fourteen prayers said before a series of fourteen pictures or carvings representing successive incidents during Jesus' passage from Pilate's house to his crucifixion at Calvary

From this reading STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.

studentsnounUS /ˈstuːdənts/

plural of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

teachverbUS /tiːtʃ/

impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading "Dory can teach his own flock now."

Thad

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

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.

vicinitynounUS /vəˈsɪnəti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

WAYnounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDER WAY.

wharfnounUS /wɔːrf/

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "My occupation is gone, like Othello's," said Thad Glovering, when the students assembled on the wharf after the lecture.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "The remnant of the Nautifelers Club have decided to have their excursion on the lake, and they will remain in the vicinity of the school.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "But I have another class for you," interposed the principal, who happened to hear the remark.

Chapter 28 of Ready About by Oliver Optic holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 28 of Ready About contain?

Chapter 28 holds 132 sentences of Ready About, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of Ready About by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 28 of Ready About?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Ready About

Common questions about reading Ready About by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ready About?

Yes. All 3382 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55557 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ready About is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55557, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ready About take to read?

About 281 minutes of reading across 677 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ready About section by section

How to work through Ready About section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Ready About to begin.

  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 Ready About

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ready About, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Boat-builder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ready About; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ready About; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adrift
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ready About; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Goldwing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ready About; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.