Chapter 15 of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE. “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick. “What on earth is a sea-cow?” “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin. “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
Chapter 15 of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
plural of “chap” — a boy or man
From this reading ““That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.”
past form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading ““That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.”
a farm where dairy products are produced
From this reading ““Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.”
a river that rises in the Catskills in southeastern New York and flows southward along the border of Pennsylvania with New York and New Jersey to northern Delaware where it empties into Delaware Bay
From this reading ““Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.”
plural of “farm” — workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit
From this reading ““Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading ““Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.”
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading ““That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.”
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading ““Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.”
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 ““Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.”
In this reading ““That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.”
used with question words to convey surprise
In this reading ““What on earth is a sea-cow?””
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 “What on earth is a sea-cow?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
plural of “chap” — a boy or man
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
past form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
a farm where dairy products are produced
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
a river that rises in the Catskills in southeastern New York and flows southward along the border of Pennsylvania with New York and New Jersey to northern Delaware where it empties into Delaware Bay
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
someone who is a detective
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading “What on earth is a sea-cow?”
plural of “farm” — workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What on earth is a sea-cow?”
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Dancing dairy farms of Delaware!” gasped Dick.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “What on earth is a sea-cow?”
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE.
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What on earth is a sea-cow?”
plural of “show” — the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
male cat
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
a source of difficulty
From this reading THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What on earth is a sea-cow?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled Captain Sprowl.
Chapter 15 of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship by Richard Bonner holds 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 15 holds 102 sentences of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship by Richard Bonner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 15 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 Boy Inventors' Flying Ship by Richard Bonner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2943 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53712 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53712, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 245 minutes of reading across 589 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship 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 Boy Inventors' Flying Ship, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
