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The Life and Most Surprising Adventures
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Life and Most Surprising Adventures
Context Illustration Reading 69/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.
When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.
To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.
The weather very wet and uncertain.
_Oct.
0:00 / 0:00
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 Life and Most Surprising Adventures

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 69/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 341–345

Line 1
At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.
/æt ðɪs taɪm aɪ ləˈmentɪd ðə lɔːs ʌv maɪ kəmˈpænjənz ənd ˈaʊər mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən ɪn ˈliːvɪŋ ðə ˈvesəl/
Line 2
When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.
/wen aɪ pərˈsiːvd ðə ʃɪp æz ɪt wɜːr leɪ draɪ aɪ ˈweɪdɪd θruː ðə sændz ðen swæm əˈbɔːrd ðə ˈweðər ˈbiːɪŋ ˈveri ˈreɪni ənd wɪð ˈskersli ˈeni waɪnd/
Line 3
To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.
Line 4
The weather very wet and uncertain.
/ðə ˈweðər ˈveri wet ənd ənˈsɜːrtən/
Line 5
_Oct.
/ɔːkt/

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.

aboard adverb US /əˈbɔːrd/

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

From this reading “When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.”

lamented adjective US /ləˈmentɪd/

mourned or grieved for

From this reading “At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.”

Oct noun US /ɔːkt/

the month following September and preceding November

rainy adjective US /ˈreɪni/

(of weather) wet by periods of rain

From this reading “When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.”

sands noun US /sændz/

the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean

From this reading “When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.”

swam verb US /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

From this reading “When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.”

voyages noun US /ˈvɔɪədʒəz/

plural of “voyage” — an act of traveling by water

From this reading “To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.”

waded verb US /ˈweɪdɪd/

past form of “wade” — walk (through relatively shallow water)

From this reading “When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

14th

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

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

aboardadverbUS /əˈbɔːrd/

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

companionsnounUS /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

employedadjectiveUS /emˈplɔɪd/

having your services engaged for; or having a job especially one that pays wages or a salary

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

lamentedadjectiveUS /ləˈmentɪd/

mourned or grieved for

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

lossnounUS /lɔːs/

something that is lost

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/

unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

OctnounUS /ɔːkt/

the month following September and preceding November

From this reading _Oct.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

perceivedadjectiveUS /pərˈsiːvd/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

rainyadjectiveUS /ˈreɪni/

(of weather) wet by periods of rain

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

sandsnounUS /sændz/

the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

swamverbUS /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

tidenounUS /taɪd/

the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/

lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance

From this reading The weather very wet and uncertain.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

vesselnounUS /ˈvesəl/

a tube in which a body fluid circulates

From this reading At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel.

voyagesnounUS /ˈvɔɪədʒəz/

plural of “voyage” — an act of traveling by water

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

wadedverbUS /ˈweɪdɪd/

past form of “wade” — walk (through relatively shallow water)

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading The weather very wet and uncertain.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

Chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures by Daniel Defoe holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures contain?

Chapter 1 holds 411 sentences of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures by Daniel Defoe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Life and Most Surprising Adventures?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Life and Most Surprising Adventures

Common questions about reading The Life and Most Surprising Adventures by Daniel Defoe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures?

Yes. All 2877 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11866 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11866, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Life and Most Surprising Adventures take to read?

About 239 minutes of reading across 576 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Life and Most Surprising Adventures section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Life and Most Surprising Adventures

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Life and Most Surprising Adventures, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Editorial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Daniel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Defoe's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Life and Most Surprising Adventures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.