Chapter 9 of Rivers of Ice is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Rivers of Ice is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope. "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices. They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet. You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope. Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
Chapter 9 of Rivers of Ice is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading “You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading “"One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.”
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading “"I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.”
plural of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading “"One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.”
with speed
From this reading “"I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.”
with low volume
From this reading “"I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.”
a strong line
From this reading “"I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.”
having a sharp inclination
From this reading “They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
plural of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.
with speed
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
with low volume
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
a strong line
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
having a sharp inclination
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.
the act of using
From this reading You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet.
which person or people
From this reading "I know it, Monsieur," said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "One of the porters and I will descend by the precipices.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe and rope.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques.
Chapter 9 of Rivers of Ice by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 9 holds 423 sentences of Rivers of Ice, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Rivers of Ice by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 9 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 Rivers of Ice by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4060 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21698 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21698, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 338 minutes of reading across 812 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rivers of Ice section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Rivers of Ice 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 Rivers of Ice, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
