The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries is here in full — 555 sentences across 111 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Francis Rolt-Wheeler • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE FIGHT OF THE OLD BULL SEALS The quick, uneasy pitching of the boat and a sudden dash of ice-cold spray roused the captain from the fit of abstraction into which the sinking of his ship had plunged him.

"Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

It's going to be a dirty night, too."

"Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

"When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

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 II Reading 1/111

The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries is here in full — 555 sentences across 111 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/111 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

"Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

Line 3

It's going to be a dirty night, too."

Line 4

"Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

/dɪd juː wɑːnt ʌs tuː pʊt ə riːf ɪn sɜːr æskt ðə oʊld ˈweɪlər/

Line 5

"When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

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.

abstraction noun US /æbˈstrækʃən/

a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

From this reading “THE FIGHT OF THE OLD BULL SEALS The quick, uneasy pitching of the boat and a sudden dash of ice-cold spray roused the captain from the fit of abstraction into which the sinking of his ship had plunged him.”

dash verb US /dæʃ/

run or move very quickly or hastily

mast noun US /mæst/

a vertical spar for supporting sails

From this reading “"Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.”

pitching noun US /ˈpɪtʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team

reef noun US /riːf/

a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water

From this reading “"Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.”

seals noun US /siːlz/

plural of “seal” — fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters

spray noun US /spreɪ/

a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying

whaler noun US /ˈweɪlər/

a seaman who works on a ship that hunts whales

From this reading “"Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 THE FIGHT OF THE OLD BULL SEALS The quick, uneasy pitching of the boat and a sudden dash of ice-cold spray roused the captain from the fit of abstraction into which the sinking of his ship had plunged him.

abstractionnounUS /æbˈstrækʃən/

a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It's going to be a dirty night, too."

boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

BULLnounUS /bʊl/

uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle

captainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

dashverbUS /dæʃ/

run or move very quickly or hastily

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/

soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime

From this reading It's going to be a dirty night, too."

FIGHTverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

fitverbUS /fɪt/

be agreeable or acceptable to

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading It's going to be a dirty night, too."

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

I'll

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

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

ice-coldadjective

as cold as ice

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

It's

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

From this reading It's going to be a dirty night, too."

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

mastnounUS /mæst/

a vertical spar for supporting sails

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

nearestadverbUS /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading It's going to be a dirty night, too."

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

pitchingnounUS /ˈpɪtʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team

plungedverbUS /plʌndʒd/

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

quickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

reefnounUS /riːf/

a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

reefed

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

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

rousedverbUS /raʊzd/

past form of “rouse” — become active

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

sailverbUS /seɪl/

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

SEALSnounUS /siːlz/

plural of “seal” — fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

shortlyadverbUS /ˈʃɔːrtli/

for a short time

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/

a descent as through liquid (especially through water)

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

spraynounUS /spreɪ/

a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying

StepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It's going to be a dirty night, too."

uneasyadjectiveUS /əˈniːzi/

lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

we've

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

From this reading "Step the mast, men," he said; "we've got to make for the nearest land.

whalernounUS /ˈweɪlər/

a seaman who works on a ship that hunts whales

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "When I want a sail reefed," the captain answered shortly, "I'll tell you."

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Did you want us to put a reef in, sir?" asked the old whaler.

Chapter 2 of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries by Francis Rolt-Wheeler holds 555 sentences, grouped into 111 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 Boy With the U. S. Fisheries contain?

Chapter 2 holds 555 sentences of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries, unabridged, divided into 111 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries by Francis Rolt-Wheeler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 555 sentences, grouped into 111 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 Boy With the U. S. Fisheries?

Work through the 111 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 111 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 Boy With the U. S. Fisheries

Common questions about reading The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries by Francis Rolt-Wheeler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries is used?

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

How long does The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries section by section

How to work through The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1: One of the 0 chapters of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2: One of the 0 chapters of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3: One of the 0 chapters of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

What does chapter 2 of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries contain?

How do I study chapter 2 of The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries?

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries

How to read The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries