The Motor Boys Afloat

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clarence Young • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Motor Boys Afloat

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

So he decided to bluff it out.

He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

“What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

Narrator

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.

Chapter VI Reading 1/22

The Motor Boys Afloat

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

Line 2

But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

/bʌt hiː sɔː ðæt hiː kʊd nɑːt ɪˈskeɪp wɪˈθaʊt ˈɡoʊɪŋ pæst ðə ˈmoʊtər bɔɪz ənˈles ˌɪnˈdiːd hiː dʒʌmpt ˈɪntuː ðə ˈrɪvər ənd swæm əˈkrɔːs/

Line 3

So he decided to bluff it out.

/soʊ hiː ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tuː blʌf ɪt aʊt/

Line 4

He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

/hiː tɜːrnd əˈsaɪd ənd əˈpɪrd tuː biː ˈɡeɪzɪŋ ˈɪntuː ðə striːm æz ðə θriː ˈkɑːmrædz əˈproʊtʃt/

Line 5

“What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

/wʌt ʃæl wiː duː ˈwɪspərd bɑːb/

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.

bluff noun US /blʌf/

a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)

From this reading “So he decided to bluff it out.”

comrades noun US /ˈkɑːmrædz/

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

From this reading “He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.”

encounter verb US /ɪnˈkaʊntər/

come together

From this reading “AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.”

gazing verb US /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading “He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.”

jumped verb US /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.”

mischief noun US /ˈmɪstʃəf/

reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

From this reading “AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.”

motor noun US /ˈmoʊtər/

machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading “But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.”

swam verb US /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

From this reading “But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.”

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.

swam across verb + particle counted as “swim across”

In this reading “But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.”

run away verb + particle

flee; take to one's heels; cut and run

In this reading “AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.”

jumped into verb + particle counted as “jump into”

In this reading “But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.”

some mischief adjective + noun

In this reading “AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.”

into the stream preposition + article + noun counted as “into … stream”

In this reading “He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.”

into the river preposition + article + noun counted as “into … river”

In this reading “But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.”

ENCOUNTER WITH verb + particle

In this reading “AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.”

like a child verb + article + noun counted as “like … child”

In this reading “AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

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

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

approachedverbUS /əˈproʊtʃt/

past form of “approach” — move towards

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

asideadverbUS /əˈsaɪd/

on or to one side

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

bluffnounUS /blʌf/

a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)

From this reading So he decided to bluff it out.

BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading “What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

comradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/

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

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading So he decided to bluff it out.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

ENCOUNTERverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/

come together

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

gazingverbUS /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

mischiefnounUS /ˈmɪstʃəf/

reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/

machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

NODDY

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading So he decided to bluff it out.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading “What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So he decided to bluff it out.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

swamverbUS /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading “What shall we do?” whispered Bob.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across.

Chapter 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat by Clarence Young holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat contain?

Chapter 6 holds 114 sentences of The Motor Boys Afloat, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Motor Boys Afloat

Common questions about reading The Motor Boys Afloat by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Motor Boys Afloat?

Yes. All 3627 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44788 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Motor Boys Afloat is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44788, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Motor Boys Afloat take to read?

About 302 minutes of reading across 726 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Motor Boys Afloat section by section

How to work through The Motor Boys Afloat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Motor Boys Afloat to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Motor Boys Afloat

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Motor Boys Afloat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stirring: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys Afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cruise: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys Afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dartaway: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys Afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Boys Afloat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VI

What does chapter 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat contain?

How do I study chapter 6 of The Motor Boys Afloat?

Can chapter 6 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Motor Boys Afloat

How to read The Motor Boys Afloat section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Motor Boys Afloat