Chapter 18 of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!" Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side. "Look out below!" he howled. "I'm coming!" "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
Chapter 18 of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
stuck in a place where a ship can no longer float
From this reading “HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"”
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading “Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.”
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading “"Look out below!" he howled.”
instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes)
From this reading “"Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.”
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading “Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.”
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading “"Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.”
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading “"Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.”
a joke that seems extremely funny
From this reading “HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"”
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.
In this reading “"Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “"Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.”
In this reading “Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.”
be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful
In this reading “"Look out below!" he howled.”
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 Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
stuck in a place where a ship can no longer float
From this reading HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading "Look out below!" he howled.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "I'm coming!"
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
a temporary passageway of planks (as over mud on a building site)
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading "Look out below!" he howled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm coming!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes)
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Look out below!" he howled.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
on one occasion
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Look out below!" he howled.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
the upper part of anything
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
which person or people
From this reading Sam, who had climbed to the top of the signal box for a better view of sea, was so startled that he lost his footing in leaping to one side.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Gangway!" cried half a dozen sailors at once, as, with quick intuition, they discovered what was occurring.
a joke that seems extremely funny
From this reading HARD AND FAST AGROUND "Wow!"
Chapter 18 of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward by Frank Gee Patchin holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 18 holds 145 sentences of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward by Frank Gee Patchin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 18 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 The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward by Frank Gee Patchin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3908 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32886 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32886, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 325 minutes of reading across 782 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward 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 The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
