The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp

Chapter VIII · In the Mobilization Camp

Chapter VIII of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp, “In the Mobilization Camp,” is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Shaler • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

“I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

“The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

Narrator

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.

Chapter VIII Reading 1/20

The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp Robert Shaler

Chapter VIII

In the Mobilization Camp

Chapter VIII of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp, “In the Mobilization Camp,” is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“Well, this sure pleases me!” exclaimed Bud, as he stopped the car on the summit of the ridge, so that they could feast their eyes on the remarkable spectacle of all camp fires burning in the near distance. “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here. I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.” “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot. “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp

Chapter VIII · In the Mobilization Camp

Chapter VIII of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp, “In the Mobilization Camp,” is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

/wel ðɪs ʃʊr ˈpliːzɪz miː ɪkˈskleɪmd bʌd æz hiː stɑːpt ðə kɑːr ɑːn ðə ˈsʌmət ʌv ðə rɪdʒ soʊ ðæt ðeɪ kʊd fiːst ðer aɪz ɑːn ðə rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl ˈspektəkəl ʌv ɔːl kæmp ˈfaɪərz ˈbɜːrnɪŋ ɪn ðə nɪr ˈdɪstəns/

Line 2

“It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

Line 3

I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

/aɪ ˈrekən ðæt wiː mʌst biː kloʊs tuː ðə ˈbɔːrdər ʌv ðə kæmp ənd kæn ɪkˈspekt tuː biː held ʌp baɪ ə ˈsentri ˈeni ˈmɪnət/

Line 4

“I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

Line 5

“The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

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.

Blake noun US /bleɪk/

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading ““It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.”

border noun US /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading “I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.””

Bud noun US /bʌd/

a partially opened flower

From this reading ““Well, this sure pleases me!” exclaimed Bud, as he stopped the car on the summit of the ridge, so that they could feast their eyes on the remarkable spectacle of all camp fires burning in the near distance.”

darker adjective US /ˈdɑːrkər/

comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black

From this reading ““The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.””

decline verb US /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading ““I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.”

headlights noun US /ˈhedlaɪts/

plural of “headlight” — a powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive

From this reading ““I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.”

pleases verb US /ˈpliːzɪz/

third-person singular of “please” — give pleasure to or be pleasing to

sentry noun US /ˈsentri/

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading “I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.””

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.

fires burning verb + noun counted as “fire burning”

In this reading ““Well, this sure pleases me!” exclaimed Bud, as he stopped the car on the summit of the ridge, so that they could feast their eyes on the remarkable spectacle of all camp fires burning in the near distance.”

drop into verb + particle

In this reading ““The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.””

on the summit preposition + article + noun counted as “on … summit”

into the valley preposition + article + noun counted as “into … valley”

In this reading ““The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.””

start up verb + adjective

get going or set in motion

In this reading ““I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.”

meet with verb + particle

In this reading ““The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.””

any minute adjective + noun

In this reading “I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.””

All words in this reading · 90

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 I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

affordverbUS /əˈfɔːrd/

be able to spare or give up

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “Well, this sure pleases me!” exclaimed Bud, as he stopped the car on the summit of the ridge, so that they could feast their eyes on the remarkable spectacle of all camp fires burning in the near distance.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

BlakenounUS /bleɪk/

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

breathedadjectiveUS /briːðd/

uttered without voice

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

BudnounUS /bʌd/

a partially opened flower

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

can't

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

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

costnounUS /kɑːst/

the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

darkeradjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkər/

comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

declineverbUS /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

feastnounUS /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

firesnounUS /ˈfaɪərz/

plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

headlightsnounUS /ˈhedlaɪts/

plural of “headlight” — a powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

I'm

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

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

it'll

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

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

it's

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

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

pilotverbUS /ˈpaɪlət/

operate an airplane

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

pleasesverbUS /ˈpliːzɪz/

third-person singular of “please” — give pleasure to or be pleasing to

reckonverbUS /ˈrekən/

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

remarkableadjectiveUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/

unusual or striking

ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/

a long narrow natural elevation or striation

sentrynounUS /ˈsentri/

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

smash-upnoun

a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

spectaclenounUS /ˈspektəkəl/

something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “I’m going to start up my headlights going down this decline,” admitted the pilot.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

summitnounUS /ˈsʌmət/

the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

valleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading I reckon that we must be close to the border of the camp, and can expect to be held up by a sentry any minute.”

we've

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

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

wonnounUS /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading “The more we drop into the valley the darker it’ll be; and we can’t afford to meet with a smash-up at this stage of the game, when we’ve about won out.”

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading “It is wonderful,” breathed Blake, “and well worth all the trouble it’s cost us to get here.

Chapter 8 of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp by Robert Shaler holds 101 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.

What does chapter 8 of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp contain?

Chapter 8 holds 101 sentences of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Boy Scouts at Mobilization Camp by Robert Shaler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 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.

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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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #50224, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter VIII · In the Mobilization Camp

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