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The Giant Raft
The Giant Raft

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Giant Raft is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Giant Raft
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_
The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.
It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.
It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.
On what principle had these letters been arranged?
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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 Giant Raft

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Giant Raft is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_
/piː eɪtʃ waɪ dʒeɪ es el waɪ diː diː kjuː ef diː ziː eks dʒiː ə es dʒiː ziː ziː kjuː kjuː iː eɪtʃ eks dʒiː keɪ ef en diː ɑːr eks juː dʒeɪ juː dʒiː aɪ oʊ siː waɪ tiː diː eks viː keɪ es biː eks eɪtʃ eɪtʃ juː waɪ piː oʊ eɪtʃ diː viː waɪ ɑːr waɪ em eɪtʃ juː eɪtʃ piː juː waɪ diː keɪ dʒeɪ oʊ eks piː eɪtʃ iː tiː oʊ ziː el es el iː tiː en piː em viː ef ef oʊ viː piː diː piː ə dʒeɪ eks eɪtʃ waɪ waɪ en oʊ dʒeɪ waɪ dʒiː dʒiː ə waɪ em iː kjuː waɪ en ef juː kjuː el en em viː el waɪ ef dʒiː es juː ziː em kjuː aɪ ziː tiː el biː kjuː kjuː waɪ juː dʒiː es kjuː iː juː biː viː en ɑːr siː ɑːr iː diː dʒiː ɑːr juː ziː biː el ɑːr em eks waɪ juː eɪtʃ kjuː eɪtʃ piː ziː diː ɑːr ɑːr dʒiː siː ɑːr oʊ eɪtʃ iː piː kjuː eks juː ef aɪ viː viː ɑːr piː el piː eɪtʃ oʊ en tiː eɪtʃ viː diː diː kjuː ef eɪtʃ kjuː es en tiː ziː eɪtʃ eɪtʃ eɪtʃ en ef iː piː em kjuː keɪ waɪ juː juː iː eks keɪ tiː oʊ dʒiː ziː dʒiː keɪ waɪ juː juː em ef viː aɪ dʒeɪ diː kjuː diː piː ziː dʒeɪ kjuː es waɪ keɪ ɑːr piː el eks eɪtʃ eks kjuː ɑːr waɪ em viː keɪ el oʊ eɪtʃ eɪtʃ eɪtʃ oʊ tiː oʊ ziː viː diː keɪ es piː piː es juː viː dʒeɪ eɪtʃ diː/
Line 2
The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.
/ðə mæn huː held ɪn hɪz hænd ðə ˈdɑːkjəment ʌv wɪtʃ ðɪs streɪndʒ əˈsemblədʒ ʌv ˈletərz fɔːrmd ðə kənˈkluːdɪŋ ˈpærəɡræf rɪˈmeɪnd fɔːr sʌm ˈmoʊmənts lɔːst ɪn θɔːt/
Line 3
It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.
/ɪt kənˈteɪnd əˈbaʊt ə ˈhʌndrəd ʌv ðiːz laɪnz wɪð ðə ˈletərz æt ˈiːvɪn ˈdɪstənsəz ənd ˌʌndəˈvaɪdɪd ˈɪntuː wɜːrdz/
Line 4
It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.
/ɪt siːmd tuː hæv bɪn ˈrɪtən ˈmeni jɪrz bɪˈfɔːr ənd taɪm hæd ɔːlˈredi leɪd hɪz ˈtɑːni ˈfɪŋɡər ɑːn ðə ʃiːt ʌv ɡʊd staʊt ˈpeɪpər wɪtʃ wɑːz ˈkʌvərd wɪð ðə ˌhaɪroʊˈɡlɪfɪks/
Line 5
On what principle had these letters been arranged?
/ɑːn wʌt ˈprɪnsəpəl hæd ðiːz ˈletərz bɪn ərˈeɪndʒd/

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.

assemblage noun US /əˈsemblədʒ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading “The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.”

concluding adjective US /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading “The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.”

distances noun US /ˈdɪstənsəz/

plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading “It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.”

document noun US /ˈdɑːkjəment/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading “The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.”

hieroglyphics noun US /ˌhaɪroʊˈɡlɪfɪks/

plural of “hieroglyphic” — writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)

From this reading “It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.”

paragraph noun US /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading “The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.”

tawny adjective US /ˈtɑːni/

of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

From this reading “It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.”

undivided adjective US /ˌʌndəˈvaɪdɪd/

not parted by conflict of opinion

From this reading “It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.”

All words in this reading · 87

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 _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading On what principle had these letters been arranged?

assemblagenounUS /əˈsemblədʒ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

bnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

concludingadjectiveUS /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

containedadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪnd/

gotten under control

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

coveredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

dnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

distancesnounUS /ˈdɪstənsəz/

plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

documentnounUS /ˈdɑːkjəment/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

enounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

fnounUS /ef/

a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

formedadjectiveUS /fɔːrmd/

having or given a form or shape

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

gnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

hnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

hieroglyphicsnounUS /ˌhaɪroʊˈɡlɪfɪks/

plural of “hieroglyphic” — writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

jnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

knounUS /keɪ/

the basic unit of thermodynamic temperature adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

lnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

laidadjectiveUS /leɪd/

set down according to a plan

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

mnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

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 It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

nnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

paragraphnounUS /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

principlenounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading On what principle had these letters been arranged?

qnounUS /kjuː/

the 17th letter of the Roman alphabet

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

rnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

snounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

sheetnounUS /ʃiːt/

any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

stoutadjectiveUS /staʊt/

dependable

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

tnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

tawnyadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːni/

of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

unounUS /juː/

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

undividedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndəˈvaɪdɪd/

not parted by conflict of opinion

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

vnounUS /viː/

a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading On what principle had these letters been arranged?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The man who held in his hand the document of which this strange assemblage of letters formed the concluding paragraph remained for some moments lost in thought.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading It contained about a hundred of these lines, with the letters at even distances, and undivided into words.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

xnounUS /eks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

ynounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It seemed to have been written many years before, and time had already laid his tawny finger on the sheet of good stout paper which was covered with the hieroglyphics.

znounUS /ziː/

the ending of a series or sequence

From this reading _“P h y j s l y d d q f d z x g a s g z z q q e h x g k f n d r x u j u g I o c y t d x v k s b x h h u y p o h d v y r y m h u h p u y d k j o x p h e t o z l s l e t n p m v f f o v p d p a j x h y y n o j y g g a y m e q y n f u q l n m v l y f g s u z m q I z t l b q q y u g s q e u b v n r c r e d g r u z b l r m x y u h q h p z d r r g c r o h e p q x u f I v v r p l p h o n t h v d d q f h q s n t z h h h n f e p m q k y u u e x k t o g z g k y u u m f v I j d q d p z j q s y k r p l x h x q r y m v k l o h h h o t o z v d k s p p s u v j h d.”_

Chapter 1 of The Giant Raft by Jules Verne holds 91 sentences, grouped into 19 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Giant Raft contain?

Chapter 1 holds 91 sentences of The Giant Raft, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Giant Raft by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 Giant Raft?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 Giant Raft

Common questions about reading The Giant Raft by Jules Verne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Giant Raft?

Yes. All 4785 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3091 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Giant Raft is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3091, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Giant Raft take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Giant Raft section by section

How to work through The Giant Raft section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Giant Raft 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 Giant Raft

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Giant Raft, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Document
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Giant Raft; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strange
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Giant Raft; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Assemblage
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Giant Raft; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Giant Raft; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.