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South Sea Tales
South Sea Tales

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of South Sea Tales is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.
And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.
Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.
Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.
This fellow's name was Sumasai.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

South Sea Tales

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of South Sea Tales is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.
Line 2
And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.
Line 3
Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.
Line 4
Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.
/ˈleɪtər ɑːn ɪn ðə deɪ hiː ˈɪntərvjuːd ðə blæk huː hæd bɪn ˈpɔɪntɪd aʊt tuː hɪm æz ə ˈkænəbəl/
Line 5
This fellow's name was Sumasai.

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.

cannibal noun US /ˈkænəbəl/

a person who eats human flesh

From this reading “Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.”

cruise verb US /kruːz/

drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure

From this reading ““Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.”

dysentery noun US /ˈdɪsənteri/

an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea

From this reading ““And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.”

fellow's noun US /ˈfeloʊz/

possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading “This fellow's name was Sumasai.”

interviewed verb US /ˈɪntərvjuːd/

past form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading “Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.”

justified adjective US /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/

having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins

From this reading ““The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.”

nowadays noun US /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading ““And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.”

skipper noun US /ˈskɪpər/

a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading ““The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

Bertie

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

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

cannibalnounUS /ˈkænəbəl/

a person who eats human flesh

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

cruiseverbUS /kruːz/

drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

dysenterynounUS /ˈdɪsənteri/

an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

fancynounUS /ˈfænsi/

something many people believe that is false

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

fellow'snounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading This fellow's name was Sumasai.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

governmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

interviewedverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuːd/

past form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

justifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/

having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

LateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

longingnounUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

matenounUS /meɪt/

the officer below the master on a commercial ship

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading This fellow's name was Sumasai.

nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “Just fancy,” said Bertie, as he felt a longing for the cruise to be over.

pointedadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪntɪd/

having a point

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

shootingnounUS /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

skippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/

a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

Sumasai

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

From this reading This fellow's name was Sumasai.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

that's

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

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

they'd

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

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This fellow's name was Sumasai.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This fellow's name was Sumasai.

wasn't

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

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading “The government said he wasn't justified in shooting after they'd taken to the water,” the skipper explained.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Later on in the day he interviewed the black who had been pointed out to him as a cannibal.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “And that's why they die of dysentery nowadays,” the mate added.

Chapter 12 of South Sea Tales by Jack London holds 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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.

What does chapter 12 of South Sea Tales contain?

Chapter 12 holds 211 sentences of South Sea Tales, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of South Sea Tales by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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 12 of South Sea Tales?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 South Sea Tales

Common questions about reading South Sea Tales by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of South Sea Tales?

Yes. All 3580 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1208 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of South Sea Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1208, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does South Sea Tales take to read?

About 298 minutes of reading across 716 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read South Sea Tales section by section

How to work through South Sea Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of South Sea Tales 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 South Sea Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in South Sea Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Terrible
A word that appears in the opening chapter of South Sea Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Solomons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of South Sea Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Inevitable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of South Sea Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
White
A word that appears in the opening chapter of South Sea Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.