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The city in the sea
The city in the sea

Chapter XXX

Chapter 30 of The city in the sea is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The city in the sea
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.
Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.
For half a minute none of them spoke.
It was Martia who broke the silence.
"He has been here waiting for us," said she.
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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 city in the sea

Chapter XXX

Chapter 30 of The city in the sea is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.
/ˈkɔːrnərd ə braɪt ˈfaɪər wɑːz ˈbɜːrnɪŋ ɪn ðə ɡreɪt/
Line 2
Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.
/wɪˈθaʊt ə wɜːrd ʃiː druː ə tʃer təˈwɔːrdz ɪt ənd sæt daʊn waɪlst ˈbɑːbi ənd sæm tʊk ðer siːts wʌn æt ðə saɪd ʌv ðə ˈteɪbəl ðə ˈʌðər ɑːn ðə kaʊtʃ baɪ ðə dɔːr/
Line 3
For half a minute none of them spoke.
/fɔːr hæf ə ˈmɪnət nʌn ʌv ðem spoʊk/
Line 4
It was Martia who broke the silence.
Line 5
"He has been here waiting for us," said she.
/hiː hæz bɪn hiːr ˈweɪtɪŋ fɔːr ʌs sed ʃiː/

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.

Bobby noun US /ˈbɑːbi/

an informal term for a British policeman

From this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

burning noun US /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading “CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.”

cornered adjective US /ˈkɔːrnərd/

forced to turn and face attackers

From this reading “CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.”

couch noun US /kaʊtʃ/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

grate noun US /ɡreɪt/

a frame of iron bars to hold a fire

From this reading “CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.”

Sam noun US /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

seats noun US /siːts/

an area that includes places where several people can sit

From this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

whilst conjunction US /waɪlst/

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

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.

Without a word preposition + article + noun counted as “without … word”

In this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

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

In this reading “Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

BobbynounUS /ˈbɑːbi/

an informal term for a British policeman

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading It was Martia who broke the silence.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

CORNEREDadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrnərd/

forced to turn and face attackers

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For half a minute none of them spoke.

gratenounUS /ɡreɪt/

a frame of iron bars to hold a fire

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading For half a minute none of them spoke.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

Martia

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

From this reading It was Martia who broke the silence.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

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

From this reading For half a minute none of them spoke.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading For half a minute none of them spoke.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

seatsnounUS /siːts/

an area that includes places where several people can sit

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading It was Martia who broke the silence.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading For half a minute none of them spoke.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading For half a minute none of them spoke.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading "He has been here waiting for us," said she.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading CORNERED A bright fire was burning in the grate.

whilstconjunctionUS /waɪlst/

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It was Martia who broke the silence.

WithoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Without a word she drew a chair towards it and sat down, whilst Bobby and Sam took their seats, one at the side of the table, the other on the couch by the door.

Chapter 30 of The city in the sea by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 30 of The city in the sea contain?

Chapter 30 holds 100 sentences of The city in the sea, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of The city in the sea by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 30 of The city in the sea?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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 city in the sea

Common questions about reading The city in the sea by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The city in the sea?

Yes. All 4583 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75608 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The city in the sea is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75608, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The city in the sea take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The city in the sea section by section

How to work through The city in the sea section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The city in the sea 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 city in the sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in The city in the sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The city in the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lagoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The city in the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pools
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The city in the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Silence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The city in the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.