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The Captain's Story
The Captain's Story

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Captain's Story is here in full — 10 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William S. [Adapter] Martin • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Captain's Story
Context Illustration Reading 1/2 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation
The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage
Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation
The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away
He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Captain's Story

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Captain's Story is here in full — 10 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation
Line 2
The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage
Line 3
Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation
Line 4
The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away
Line 5
He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

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.

Amsterdam noun US /ˈæmstərdæm/

an industrial center and the nominal capital of the Netherlands; center of the diamond-cutting industry; seat of an important stock exchange; known for its canals and art museum

From this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Arrives verb US /ərˈaɪvz/

third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Curiosities noun US /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsətiz/

plural of “curiosity” — a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading “Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Endures verb US /enˈdjʊrz/

third-person singular of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Grasshopper noun US /ˈɡræshɑːpər/

terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

From this reading “Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kidnapped verb US /ˈkɪdnæpt/

inflected form of “kidnap” — take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom

From this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Refuses noun US /rəˈfjuːzəz/

plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)

From this reading “The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Soliloquy noun US /səˈlɪləkwi/

speech you make to yourself

From this reading “The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

Runs Away verb + particle counted as “run away”

flee; take to one's heels; cut and run

In this reading “The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away”

33,506 times in 426,211 chapters
Arrives at verb + particle counted as “arrive at”

reach a destination, either real or abstract

In this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

43,893 times in 426,211 chapters
many Hardships adjective + noun counted as “many hardship”

In this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

319 times in 426,211 chapters
On the Quay preposition + article + noun counted as “on … quay”

In this reading “He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships”

1,420 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 68

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 He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AmsterdamnounUS /ˈæmstərdæm/

an industrial center and the nominal capital of the Netherlands; center of the diamond-cutting industry; seat of an important stock exchange; known for its canals and art museum

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AnswerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AntnounUS /ænt/

social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ArrivesverbUS /ərˈaɪvz/

third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AwayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BadadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beginsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnz/

plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BehaviournounUS /bɪˈheɪvjər/

the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

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

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Captain'snounUS /ˈkæptənz/

possessive form of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Children's

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

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

Pending verification
CuriositiesnounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsətiz/

plural of “curiosity” — a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CuriositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CursenounUS /kɜːrs/

profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DisappointedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/

disappointingly unsuccessful

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnduresverbUS /enˈdjʊrz/

third-person singular of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ExpectationnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃən/

belief about (or mental picture of) the future

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ExplanationnounUS /ˌekspləˈneɪʃən/

a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FablenounUS /ˈfeɪbəl/

a deliberately false or improbable account

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fellow-Countryman

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

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

Pending verification
Forester's

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

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

Pending verification
GoesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GrasshoppernounUS /ˈɡræshɑːpər/

terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HardshipsnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪps/

plural of “hardship” — a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
InvitationnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/

a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
KidnappedverbUS /ˈkɪdnæpt/

inflected form of “kidnap” — take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LetternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LuggagenounUS /ˈlʌɡədʒ/

cases used to carry belongings when traveling

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MeetsnounUS /miːts/

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MoneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NegroesnounUS /ˈniːɡroʊz/

plural of “negro” — a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PastornounUS /ˈpæstər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PortraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
QuaynounUS /kiː/

wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RefusesnounUS /rəˈfjuːzəz/

plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RemarksnounUS /rɪˈmɑːrks/

plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RobbedverbUS /rɑːbd/

inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RunsnounUS /rʌnz/

plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Scapegracenoun

a reckless and unprincipled reprobate

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SeanounUS /siː/

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

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SoliloquynounUS /səˈlɪləkwi/

speech you make to yourself

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StorynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StrangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TeanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Stranger—The Castle—The Captain’s Soliloquy—The Pastor—The Invitation

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Invitation to Tea—Negroes—Curiosities—The Fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant—The Explanation

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UniversitynounUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti/

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VillagersnounUS /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/

plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life

From this reading The Children’s Expectation Disappointed—The Scapegrace—The Forester’s House—Curiosity of the Villagers—Their Remarks—The Captain’s Luggage

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Wilfulnessnoun

the trait of being prone to disobedience and lack of discipline

From this reading The Portrait—The Captain begins his Story—His Wilfulness—Goes to the University—Bad Behaviour there—His Father’s Letter—Refuses to send him Money—He Runs Away

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writesverbUS /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading He writes to his Father—Arrives at Amsterdam—His Father’s Answer—The Curse—On the Quay—Meets a Fellow-Countryman—Is Kidnapped and Robbed—Sent to Sea—Endures many Hardships

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Captain's Story by William S. [Adapter] Martin holds 10 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 of The Captain's Story contain?

Chapter 1 holds 10 sentences of The Captain's Story, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Captain's Story by William S. [Adapter] Martin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 10 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 of The Captain's Story?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Captain's Story

Common questions about reading The Captain's Story by William S. [Adapter] Martin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Captain's Story?

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

Which edition of The Captain's Story is used?

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

How long does The Captain's Story take to read?

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

How to read The Captain's Story section by section

How to work through The Captain's Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Captain's Story 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 Captain's Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Captain's Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Captain's Story, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The Captain's Story, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Captain's Story, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.