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The Crack of Doom
The Crack of Doom

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Crack of Doom is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Crack of Doom
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"IF NOT TOO LATE!"
When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.
The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.
I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.
I hung back guiltily.
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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 Crack of Doom

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Crack of Doom is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"IF NOT TOO LATE!"
/ɪf nɑːt tuː leɪt/
Line 2
When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.
/wen aɪ keɪm ɑːn dek nekst ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ðə koʊst ʌv əˈreɪbiə wɑːz ˈraɪzɪŋ ə θɪn θred ʌv ˈheɪzi bluː bɪˈtwiːn ðə ˈledən ɡreɪ ʌv ðə siː ənd ðə sɑːft ɡreɪ ʌv ðə skaɪ/
Line 3
The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.
/ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ wɑːz ˈklaʊdi ənd ðə ˈbleɪzɪŋ ˈsʌnlaɪt wɑːz veɪld ɪn ˌætməˈsferɪk ɡɔːz/
Line 4
I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.
Line 5
I hung back guiltily.

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.

Arabia noun US /əˈreɪbiə/

a peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; strategically important for its oil resources

From this reading “When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.”

atmospheric adjective US /ˌætməˈsferɪk/

relating to or located in the atmosphere

From this reading “The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.”

blazing adjective US /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading “The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.”

cloudy adjective US /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading “The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.”

gauze noun US /ɡɔːz/

(medicine) bleached cotton cloth of plain weave used for bandages and dressings

From this reading “The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.”

hazy adjective US /ˈheɪzi/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading “When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.”

leaden adjective US /ˈledən/

darkened with overcast

From this reading “When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.”

veiled adjective US /veɪld/

having or as if having a veil or concealing cover

From this reading “The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.”

TOO LATE adverb + adjective

In this reading “"IF NOT TOO LATE!"”

on deck preposition + noun

In this reading “When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.”

hung back verb + particle counted as “hang back”

to lag or linger behind

In this reading “I hung back guiltily.”

thread of verb + particle

In this reading “When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

ArabianounUS /əˈreɪbiə/

a peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; strategically important for its oil resources

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

atmosphericadjectiveUS /ˌætməˈsferɪk/

relating to or located in the atmosphere

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading I hung back guiltily.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

Brande

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

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

cloudyadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

coastnounUS /koʊst/

the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

gauzenounUS /ɡɔːz/

(medicine) bleached cotton cloth of plain weave used for bandages and dressings

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

guiltilyadverb

in the manner of someone who has committed an offense

From this reading I hung back guiltily.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

hazyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪzi/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading I hung back guiltily.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

IFconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "IF NOT TOO LATE!"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

LATEadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading "IF NOT TOO LATE!"

leadenadjectiveUS /ˈledən/

darkened with overcast

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

Natalie

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

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "IF NOT TOO LATE!"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

seanounUS /siː/

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

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

sunlightnounUS /ˈsʌnlaɪt/

the rays of the sun

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

threadverbUS /θred/

to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I had hardly put my foot on deck when Natalie Brande ran to meet me.

TOOadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "IF NOT TOO LATE!"

veiledadjectiveUS /veɪld/

having or as if having a veil or concealing cover

From this reading The morning was cloudy, and the blazing sunlight was veiled in atmospheric gauze.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I came on deck next morning the coast of Arabia was rising, a thin thread of hazy blue between the leaden grey of the sea and the soft grey of the sky.

Chapter 15 of The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 15 of The Crack of Doom contain?

Chapter 15 holds 199 sentences of The Crack of Doom, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 15 of The Crack of Doom?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Crack of Doom

Common questions about reading The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Crack of Doom?

Yes. All 3212 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26563 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Crack of Doom is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26563, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Crack of Doom take to read?

About 267 minutes of reading across 643 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Crack of Doom section by section

How to work through The Crack of Doom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Crack of Doom

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Crack of Doom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Robert
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crack of Doom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cromie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crack of Doom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crack of Doom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plunge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crack of Doom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.