Chapter 21 of The Motor Boys Under the Sea is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Motor Boys Under the Sea is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another. Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder. “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this. Don’t worry.” “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
Chapter 21 of The Motor Boys Under the Sea is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
inflected form of “pat” — pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading “Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.”
inflected form of “plot” — plan secretly, usually something illegal
From this reading “PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.”
plural of “refugee” — an exile who flees for safety
From this reading “PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.”
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading “Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.”
without speaking
From this reading “Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.”
in a soothing manner
From this reading ““There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.”
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading ““But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.”
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading “Don’t worry.””
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 ““But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.”
In this reading “PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.”
In this reading ““There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don’t worry.”
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
inflected form of “pat” — pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
inflected form of “plot” — plan secretly, usually something illegal
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
plural of “refugee” — an exile who flees for safety
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
express in words
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
without speaking
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
in a soothing manner
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading “But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this.
which person or people
From this reading Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
in the company of; together with
From this reading PLOTTING With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another.
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading Don’t worry.”
Chapter 21 of The Motor Boys Under the Sea by Clarence Young holds 136 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 21 holds 136 sentences of The Motor Boys Under the Sea, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Motor Boys Under the Sea by Clarence Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 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 21 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 Boys Under the Sea by Clarence Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3854 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49049 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49049, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 321 minutes of reading across 771 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Motor Boys Under the Sea section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Motor Boys Under the Sea 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 Boys Under the Sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
