Chapter 2 of Short Cruises is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Short Cruises is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate. “Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice. “Old age! I’m not thirty-seven yet.” “You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.”
Chapter 2 of Short Cruises is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
how long something has existed
From this reading ““You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.”
in addition to; as well as
From this reading ““You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.””
the act of acquiring something
From this reading ““You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.””
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading ““You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.”
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading ““You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.”
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading ““You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.”
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading ““Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice.”
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading ““You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.”
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 “Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice.
how long something has existed
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading “You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.”
the act of acquiring something
From this reading “You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.”
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’m not thirty-seven yet.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.”
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I’m not thirty-seven yet.”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading “Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
being seven more than thirty
From this reading I’m not thirty-seven yet.”
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Old age!” said the other, in a startled voice.
but in spite of that
From this reading I’m not thirty-seven yet.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You’re getting on,” said the mate; “besides, you look old.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You’re turning soft-’arted in your old age,” grumbled the mate.
Chapter 2 of Short Cruises by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Chapter 2 holds 411 sentences of Short Cruises, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Short Cruises by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 2 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 Short Cruises by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3208 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6465 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6465, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 267 minutes of reading across 642 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Short Cruises section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Short Cruises 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 Short Cruises, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
