Chapter 7 of Stem to Stern is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Stem to Stern is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN EXPEDITION BY MOONLIGHT. The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her. Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once. Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned. Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
Chapter 7 of Stem to Stern is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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.
past form of “embark” — go on board
From this reading “Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.”
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading “Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.”
having a crew
From this reading “Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.”
travel by means of steam power
From this reading “Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.”
plural of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
a slender graceful young woman
From this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
plural of “uniform” — clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification
From this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
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.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
In this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.”
In this reading “Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.”
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
rise to one's feet
In this reading “Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.”
In this reading “AN EXPEDITION BY MOONLIGHT.”
put clothing on one's body
In this reading “The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN EXPEDITION BY MOONLIGHT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading AN EXPEDITION BY MOONLIGHT.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
past form of “embark” — go on board
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading AN EXPEDITION BY MOONLIGHT.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
having a crew
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
the light of the Moon
From this reading AN EXPEDITION BY MOONLIGHT.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
on one occasion
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
one of four equal parts
From this reading Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
in the near future
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
travel by means of steam power
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
plural of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
a slender graceful young woman
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
plural of “uniform” — clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Chief-engineer Minkfield was directed to get up steam at once.
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 Captain Dornwood ordered one of the quarter boats to be lowered into the water and manned.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading The Sylph lay at the new wharf, and as soon as the students had put on their uniforms they went on board of her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Taking Thad Glovering, the first officer, with him, he embarked.
Chapter 7 of Stem to Stern by Oliver Optic holds 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 7 holds 96 sentences of Stem to Stern, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Stem to Stern by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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.
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Yes. All 3514 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52978 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52978, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 292 minutes of reading across 703 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stem to Stern section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Stem to Stern 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 Stem to Stern, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
