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The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4
The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4 is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edward Parrott • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE DARDANELLES.
The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.
Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.
Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.
Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.
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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 Children's Story of the War — Volume 4

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4 is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DARDANELLES.
Line 2
The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.
Line 3
Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.
Line 4
Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.
Line 5
Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

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.

access noun US /ˈækses/

the right to enter

From this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Aided adjective US /ˈeɪdəd/

having help; often used as a combining form

From this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
batter verb US /ˈbætər/

strike against forcefully

From this reading “Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
channels noun US /ˈtʃænəlz/

official routes of communication

From this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fortified adjective US /ˈfɔːrtəfaɪd/

secured with bastions or fortifications

From this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forts noun US /fɔːrts/

plural of “fort” — a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading “Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fruitless adjective US /ˈfruːtləs/

unproductive of success

From this reading “Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mediterranean noun US /ˌmedətərˈeɪniən/

the largest inland sea; between Europe and Africa and Asia

From this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

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.

strongly fortified adverb + adjective

In this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

306 times in 225,867 chapters
southern shores adjective + noun counted as “southern shore”

In this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

543 times in 225,867 chapters
batter down verb + adjective

In this reading “Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.”

288 times in 225,867 chapters
give access verb + noun

In this reading “Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.”

481 times in 225,867 chapters
go down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.”

68,434 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 60

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.

1915

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

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
accessnounUS /ˈækses/

the right to enter

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AidedadjectiveUS /ˈeɪdəd/

having help; often used as a combining form

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attemptsnounUS /əˈtempts/

plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
batterverbUS /ˈbætər/

strike against forcefully

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BritishnounUS /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/

the people of Great Britain

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
campaignnounUS /kæmˈpeɪn/

a race between candidates for elective office

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
channelsnounUS /ˈtʃænəlz/

official routes of communication

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commandedverbUS /kəˈmændɪd/

past form of “command” — be in command of

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DARDANELLESnoun

the strait between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara that separates European Turkey from Asian Turkey

From this reading THE DARDANELLES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discomfitednoun

people who are defeated

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fortifiedadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrtəfaɪd/

secured with bastions or fortifications

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fortsnounUS /fɔːrts/

plural of “fort” — a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fruitlessadjectiveUS /ˈfruːtləs/

unproductive of success

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MediterraneannounUS /ˌmedətərˈeɪniən/

the largest inland sea; between Europe and Africa and Asia

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
militaryadjectiveUS /ˈmɪləteri/

of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
navaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/

connected with or belonging to or used in a navy

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
retireverbUS /rɪˈtaɪr/

go into retirement; stop performing one's work or withdraw from one's position

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
right-of-way

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

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

Pending verification
RussianounUS /ˈrʌʃə/

a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

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 Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShipsnounUS /ʃɪps/

plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/

plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
southernadjectiveUS /ˈsʌðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
splendidadjectiveUS /ˈsplendɪd/

having great beauty and splendor

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stronglyadverbUS /ˈstrɔːŋli/

with strength or in a strong manner

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/

inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DARDANELLES.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Aided by the French, the British strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern shores of Russia.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TwonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Ships of war strove to batter down the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other military--but both were fruitless.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go down to history as a splendid failure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 17 of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4 by Edward Parrott holds 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 17 of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4 contain?

Chapter 17 holds 177 sentences of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4 by Edward Parrott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 17 of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 #35386, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 491 minutes of reading across 1179 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Children's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Parrott
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Children's Story of the War — Volume 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.