Chapter 7 of Short Cruises is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Short Cruises is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below. In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible. “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed. Mr. Wragg drew back. “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
Chapter 7 of Short Cruises is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
heard or perceptible by the ear
From this reading “In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.”
past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading “A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.”
fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
From this reading “In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.”
-ing form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.”
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading “In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.”
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading “A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.”
plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition
From this reading “A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.”
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading ““You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.”
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 A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
heard or perceptible by the ear
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Mr. Wragg drew back.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
clothing in general
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
psychological suffering
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Mr. Wragg drew back.
a quad with a square body
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
go or come after and bring or take back
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
-ing form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’ll go and fetch ’em,” he said, hastily.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
in a violent manner
From this reading A series of gasping sobs sounded from the landing, the stairs creaked, and a door slammed violently below.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In spite of this precaution the sounds of a maiden in dire distress were distinctly audible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Wragg drew back.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You give me my clothes,” shouted the now furious Mr. Gale, springing out of bed.
Chapter 7 of Short Cruises by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs holds 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 7 holds 393 sentences of Short Cruises, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Short Cruises by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 7 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.
