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The Boy Scout Aviators
The Boy Scout Aviators

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Boy Scout Aviators is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Boy Scout Aviators
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"
Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?
Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?
Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?
Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Boy Scout Aviators

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Boy Scout Aviators is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"
Line 2
Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?
/wɑːz ɪt ˈlɪtəl mɔːr ðæn ə wiːk θɔːt ˈheri ˈflemɪŋ sɪns hiː hæd ˈʌtərd ðoʊz wɜːrdz soʊ ˈlaɪtli/
Line 3
Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?
Line 4
Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?
/wɑːz ɪt dʒʌst tuː deɪz sɪns ˈfɑːðər ənd ˈmʌðər hæd bɪn soʊ ˈsʌdənli rɪˈkɔːld tuː ðə steɪts/
Line 5
Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

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.

bidden verb US /ˈbɪdɪn/

inflected form of “bid” — propose a payment

From this reading “Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?”

busily adverb US /ˈbɪzəli/

in a busy manner

From this reading “Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?”

chum noun US /tʃʌm/

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading “Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?”

detailed adjective US /dɪˈteɪld/

developed or executed with care and in minute detail

From this reading “Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?”

Fleming noun US /ˈflemɪŋ/

British writer famous for writing spy novels about secret agent James Bond (1908-1964)

From this reading “Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?”

goodbye noun US /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading “Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?”

Mercer noun US /ˈmɜːrsər/

a dealer in textiles (especially silks)

From this reading “Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?”

scoutmaster noun US /ˈskaʊtmæstər/

the leader of a troop of Scouts

From this reading “Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?”

All words in this reading · 79

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 A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

biddenverbUS /ˈbɪdɪn/

inflected form of “bid” — propose a payment

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

busilyadverbUS /ˈbɪzəli/

in a busy manner

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

can't

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

chumnounUS /tʃʌm/

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

detailedadjectiveUS /dɪˈteɪld/

developed or executed with care and in minute detail

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

enemynounUS /ˈenəmi/

an opposing military force

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

FlemingnounUS /ˈflemɪŋ/

British writer famous for writing spy novels about secret agent James Bond (1908-1964)

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

goodbyenounUS /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

Grenfel

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

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

heliographs

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

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

I'd

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

lightlyadverbUS /ˈlaɪtli/

without good reason

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

MercernounUS /ˈmɜːrsər/

a dealer in textiles (especially silks)

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

messagesnounUS /ˈmesədʒəz/

plural of “message” — a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

missionnounUS /ˈmɪʃən/

an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

NEEDnounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

NorthnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

recalledverbUS /rɪˈkɔːld/

past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

scoutmasternounUS /ˈskaʊtmæstər/

the leader of a troop of Scouts

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

SeanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

sendingnounUS /ˈsendɪŋ/

the act of causing something to go (especially messages)

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

troopnounUS /truːp/

a group of soldiers

From this reading Was it just a week since Grenfel, his English scoutmaster, had bidden the boys of his troop goodbye?

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Was it just two days since father and mother had been so suddenly recalled to the States?

utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/

communicated in words

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Was it just that very morning that he and his good chum Dick Mercer had been detailed on this mission which had led to the discovery of the secret heliographs so busily sending messages to the enemy across the North Sea?

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Was it little more than a week, thought Harry Fleming, since he had uttered those words so lightly?

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED "As long as I can't be at home, I'd rather be here than anywhere in the world I can think of!"

Chapter 7 of The Boy Scout Aviators by George Durston holds 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 7 of The Boy Scout Aviators contain?

Chapter 7 holds 218 sentences of The Boy Scout Aviators, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Boy Scout Aviators by George Durston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 7 of The Boy Scout Aviators?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 7 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Boy Scout Aviators

Common questions about reading The Boy Scout Aviators by George Durston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy Scout Aviators?

Yes. All 2909 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5707 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boy Scout Aviators is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5707, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Boy Scout Aviators take to read?

About 242 minutes of reading across 582 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boy Scout Aviators section by section

How to work through The Boy Scout Aviators section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Boy Scout Aviators 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 Boy Scout Aviators

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy Scout Aviators, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Harry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Scout Aviators; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Early
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Scout Aviators; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dinner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Scout Aviators; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy Scout Aviators; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.