Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Men Who Wrought
The Men Who Wrought

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Men Who Wrought is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ridgwell Cullum • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Men Who Wrought
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.
Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.
They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.
A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.
The sky was heavily overcast.
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 Men Who Wrought

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Men Who Wrought is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.
Line 2
Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.
Line 3
They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.
/ðeɪ wɜːr ˈstændɪŋ bɪˈsaɪd ə ˈneɪvəl ˈɔːfəsər ʌv kənˈsɪdərəbəl ræŋk/
Line 4
A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.
/ə ˈnʌmbər ʌv ˈneɪvəl ˈjuːnəfɔːrmz stʊd aʊt frʌm ðə rest ʌv ðə səˈvɪljənz bʌt ðiːz wɜːr ʌv ˈlesər dɪˈɡriː/
Line 5
The sky was heavily overcast.
/ðə skaɪ wɑːz ˈhevəli ˈoʊvərkæst/

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.

civilians noun US /səˈvɪljənz/

plural of “civilian” — a nonmilitary citizen

From this reading “A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
construction noun US /kənˈstrʌkʃən/

the act of constructing something

From this reading “THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
docks noun US /dɑːks/

plural of “dock” — an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading “THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lesser adjective US /ˈlesər/

of less size or importance

From this reading “A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
naval adjective US /ˈneɪvəl/

connected with or belonging to or used in a navy

From this reading “They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overcast noun US /ˈoʊvərkæst/

the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds

From this reading “The sky was heavily overcast.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surveying noun US /sərˈveɪɪŋ/

the practice of measuring angles and distances on the ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map

From this reading “THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uniforms noun US /ˈjuːnəfɔːrmz/

plural of “uniform” — clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification

From this reading “A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

naval officer adjective + noun

an officer in the navy

In this reading “They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.”

1,939 times in 426,211 chapters
lesser degree adjective + noun

In this reading “A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.”

257 times in 426,211 chapters
small group adjective + noun

In this reading “THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.”

933 times in 426,211 chapters
rest of verb + particle

In this reading “A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.”

80,160 times in 426,211 chapters
stood out verb + adjective

In this reading “A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.”

7,162 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 48

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 THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndrewnounUS /ˈændruː/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
civiliansnounUS /səˈvɪljənz/

plural of “civilian” — a nonmilitary citizen

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
constructionnounUS /kənˈstrʌkʃən/

the act of constructing something

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
docksnounUS /dɑːks/

plural of “dock” — an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DORBY

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

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Pending verification
Farlow

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

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

Pending verification
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
groupnounUS /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/

to a considerable degree

From this reading The sky was heavily overcast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lesseradjectiveUS /ˈlesər/

of less size or importance

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
navaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/

connected with or belonging to or used in a navy

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overcastnounUS /ˈoʊvərkæst/

the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds

From this reading The sky was heavily overcast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ProminentadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːmənənt/

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranknounUS /ræŋk/

a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading The sky was heavily overcast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora curated lexicon
surveyingnounUS /sərˈveɪɪŋ/

the practice of measuring angles and distances on the ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were standing beside a naval officer of considerable rank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uniformsnounUS /ˈjuːnəfɔːrmz/

plural of “uniform” — clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification

From this reading A number of naval uniforms stood out from the rest of the civilians; but these were of lesser degree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The sky was heavily overcast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Prominent among them were Sir Andrew Farlow and his son.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WRECKnounUS /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/

plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading THE WRECK AT DORBY A small group of people stood surveying the wreck of one of the great construction docks in the Dorby yards.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 23 of The Men Who Wrought by Ridgwell Cullum holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 23 of The Men Who Wrought contain?

Chapter 23 holds 430 sentences of The Men Who Wrought, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Men Who Wrought by Ridgwell Cullum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 23 of The Men Who Wrought?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Men Who Wrought

Common questions about reading The Men Who Wrought by Ridgwell Cullum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Men Who Wrought?

Yes. All 8848 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36836 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Men Who Wrought is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36836, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Men Who Wrought take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1770 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Men Who Wrought section by section

How to work through The Men Who Wrought section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Men Who Wrought 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 Men Who Wrought

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Men Who Wrought, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Danger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Men Who Wrought; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Amongst
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Men Who Wrought; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncertainties
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Men Who Wrought; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Deplorable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Men Who Wrought; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.