Chapter 30 of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXX
Chapter 30 of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN UNEXPECTED DEATH. I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead. I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him. "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward. "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
Chapter 30 of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading “I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.”
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading “I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.”
inflected form of “can” — preserve in a can or tin
From this reading “"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.”
be shown or be found to be
From this reading “I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.”
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading “I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.”
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading “I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.”
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading “"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.”
not expected or anticipated
From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED DEATH.”
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.
In this reading “I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.”
In this reading “I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.”
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.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED DEATH.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
inflected form of “can” — preserve in a can or tin
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED DEATH.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
information about recent and important events
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I knew that his heart was affected, and that any sudden shock might prove serious to him.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "The news has been too much for him," I replied.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED DEATH.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the matter?" asked Mr. Canning, starting forward.
at the time that
From this reading I was alarmed when my uncle fell back in his chair as one dead.
Chapter 30 of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire by Edward Stratemeyer holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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.
Chapter 30 holds 140 sentences of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 30 of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire by Edward Stratemeyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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.
Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Last Cruise of the Spitfire by Edward Stratemeyer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3938 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34367 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34367, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 328 minutes of reading across 788 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Last Cruise of the Spitfire section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Last Cruise of the Spitfire to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Last Cruise of the Spitfire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
