Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Battleship Boys at Sea
The Battleship Boys at Sea

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Battleship Boys at Sea is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Battleship Boys at Sea
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Do you know where you are going?”
“No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”
Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.
“Do you see them?”
“Yes.”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Battleship Boys at Sea

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Battleship Boys at Sea is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Do you know where you are going?”
/duː juː noʊ wer juː ɑːr ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
Line 2
“No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”
/noʊ bʌt aɪ ʃæl faɪnd aʊt ˈprɪti suːn sæm/
Line 3
Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.
Line 4
“Do you see them?”
/duː juː siː ðem/
Line 5
“Yes.”
/jes/

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.

battleships noun US /ˈbætəlʃɪps/

plural of “battleship” — large and heavily armoured warship

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

Bay noun US /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

cage noun US /keɪdʒ/

an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

Davis noun US /ˈdeɪvəs/

English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

masts noun US /mæsts/

plural of “mast” — a vertical spar for supporting sails

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

observable adjective US /əbˈzɜːrvəbəl/

capable of being seen or noticed

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

pointing verb US /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

towering adjective US /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/

of imposing height; especially standing out above others

From this reading “Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

find out verb + adjective

establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

In this reading ““No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.””

All words in this reading · 43

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 Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “Do you know where you are going?”

battleshipsnounUS /ˈbætəlʃɪps/

plural of “battleship” — large and heavily armoured warship

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

BaynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/

an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

Dan

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

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

DavisnounUS /ˈdeɪvəs/

English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Do you know where you are going?”

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “Do you know where you are going?”

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Do you know where you are going?”

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

mastsnounUS /mæsts/

plural of “mast” — a vertical spar for supporting sails

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

Narragansett

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

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

observableadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvəbəl/

capable of being seen or noticed

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “Do you see them?”

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading “No, but I shall find out pretty soon, Sam.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “Do you see them?”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

toweringadjectiveUS /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/

of imposing height; especially standing out above others

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Dan Davis paused, pointing off over the beautiful Narragansett Bay to where the cage masts of two big battleships were observable, towering high above a point of land.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “Do you know where you are going?”

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Do you know where you are going?”

Chapter 2 of The Battleship Boys at Sea by Frank Gee Patchin holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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.

What does chapter 2 of The Battleship Boys at Sea contain?

Chapter 2 holds 139 sentences of The Battleship Boys at Sea, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Battleship Boys at Sea by Frank Gee Patchin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 2 of The Battleship Boys at Sea?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Battleship Boys at Sea

Common questions about reading The Battleship Boys at Sea by Frank Gee Patchin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Battleship Boys at Sea?

Yes. All 4009 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36322 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Battleship Boys at Sea is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36322, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Battleship Boys at Sea take to read?

About 334 minutes of reading across 802 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Battleship Boys at Sea section by section

How to work through The Battleship Boys at Sea section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Battleship Boys at Sea 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 The Battleship Boys at Sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Battleship Boys at Sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Apprentices
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battleship Boys at Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battleship Boys at Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battleship Boys at Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Battleship
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Battleship Boys at Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.