Chapter 15 of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“What’s the worst, now, captain?” It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones. “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef. “Yes.” “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
Chapter 15 of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading ““Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.”
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.”
possessive form of “gale” — a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading ““Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.”
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading ““Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.”
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading “It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.”
possessive form of “skipper” — a student who fails to attend classes
a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
From this reading ““Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.”
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 “It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.”
In this reading ““Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.”
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.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “What’s the worst, now, captain?”
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
possessive form of “gale” — a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “What’s the worst, now, captain?”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
a judge of a probate court
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
above and across; more than
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
possessive form of “skipper” — a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “What’s the worst, now, captain?”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s the worst, now, captain?”
in or at the place that
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
which person or people
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
showing curiosity
From this reading “I’m wondering if it’s possible for us not to be dashed on that.”
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “What’s the worst, now, captain?”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you see that line of spray?” asked Halstead, pointing to where the water dashed over the reef.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading It was Miss Jessie who asked this, her lips close to the young skipper’s ear, for the gale’s roar now drowned out all ordinary tones.
Chapter 15 of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 15 holds 134 sentences of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 15 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3734 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40605 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 311 minutes of reading across 747 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket 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 Motor Boat Club at Nantucket, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
