The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Henry Goldfrap • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

WAR IS DECLARED!

"Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

Jack had discovered in young Poffer an acquaintance he had made in Antwerp when he was on board the _Ajax_, and had renewed the friendship, to Poffer's great delight, for the German wireless man had had trouble with his instruments the first day out which Jack had adjusted for him.

Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

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 II Reading 1/18

The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas John Henry Goldfrap

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

WAR IS DECLARED! "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?" Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out. Jack had discovered in young Poffer an acquaintance he had made in Antwerp when he was on board the _Ajax_, and had renewed the friendship, to Poffer's great delight, for the German wireless man had had trouble with his instruments the first day out which Jack had adjusted for him. Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

WAR IS DECLARED!

/wɔːr ɪz dɪˈklerd/

Line 2

"Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

Line 3

Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

Line 4

Line 5

Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

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.

adjusted adjective US /əˈdʒʌstɪd/

altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation

From this reading “Jack had discovered in young Poffer an acquaintance he had made in Antwerp when he was on board the _Ajax_, and had renewed the friendship, to Poffer's great delight, for the German wireless man had had trouble with his instruments the first day out which Jack had adjusted for him.”

Ajax noun US /ˈeɪdʒæks/

a mythical Greek hero; a warrior who fought against Troy in the Iliad

Antwerp noun US /ˈæntwərp/

a busy port and financial center in northern Belgium on the Scheldt river; it has long been a center for the diamond industry and the first stock exchange was opened there in 1460

Hans noun US /hɑːns/

plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading “Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.”

instruments noun US /ˈɪnstrəmənts/

plural of “instrument” — a device that requires skill for proper use

operator noun US /ˈɑːpəreɪtər/

(mathematics) a symbol or function representing a mathematical operation

From this reading “Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.”

wireless noun US /ˈwaɪrlɪs/

medium for communication

From this reading “Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.”

Yack noun US /jæk/

noisy talk

From this reading “"Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"”

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.

wireless operator noun + noun

In this reading “Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.”

on board preposition + noun

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

In this reading “Jack had discovered in young Poffer an acquaintance he had made in Antwerp when he was on board the _Ajax_, and had renewed the friendship, to Poffer's great delight, for the German wireless man had had trouble with his instruments the first day out which Jack had adjusted for him.”

third day noun + noun

In this reading “Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.”

wireless room noun + noun

In this reading “Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."”

first day adjective + noun

All words in this reading · 80

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.

acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading Jack had discovered in young Poffer an acquaintance he had made in Antwerp when he was on board the _Ajax_, and had renewed the friendship, to Poffer's great delight, for the German wireless man had had trouble with his instruments the first day out which Jack had adjusted for him.

adjustedadjectiveUS /əˈdʒʌstɪd/

altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

AjaxnounUS /ˈeɪdʒæks/

a mythical Greek hero; a warrior who fought against Troy in the Iliad

amusementnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənt/

a feeling of delight at being entertained

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

AntwerpnounUS /ˈæntwərp/

a busy port and financial center in northern Belgium on the Scheldt river; it has long been a center for the diamond industry and the first stock exchange was opened there in 1460

aroundt

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

BillnounUS /bɪl/

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

DECLAREDadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading WAR IS DECLARED!

delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

Emilie

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

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

friendshipnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/

the state of being friends (or friendly)

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

hangverbUS /hæŋ/

be suspended or hanging

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

HansnounUS /hɑːns/

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

hein

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

instrumentsnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənts/

plural of “instrument” — a device that requires skill for proper use

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading WAR IS DECLARED!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

Kronprinzessin

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

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

operatornounUS /ˈɑːpəreɪtər/

(mathematics) a symbol or function representing a mathematical operation

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

Poffer

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

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

Poffer's

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

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

Raynor's

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

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

red-cheeked

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

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/

restored to a new condition

Retty

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

undt

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

Vell

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

vurk

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

WARnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading WAR IS DECLARED!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

wirelessnounUS /ˈwaɪrlɪs/

medium for communication

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Since that time Jack, to Bill Raynor's amusement, had spent most of his time in the wireless room enjoying, as Poffer put it, "watching me work."

YacknounUS /jæk/

noisy talk

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

yellow-haired

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

From this reading Hans Poffer, the yellow-haired, red-cheeked wireless operator of the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_ asked the question, on the afternoon of the third day out.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

yust

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

From this reading "Vell, Yack Retty, you yust like to hang aroundt undt see me vurk, hein?"

Chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas by John Henry Goldfrap holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas contain?

Chapter 2 holds 92 sentences of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas by John Henry Goldfrap exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

Common questions about reading The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas by John Henry Goldfrap on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas?

Yes. All 3149 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45841 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45841, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas take to read?

About 262 minutes of reading across 630 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas section by section

How to work through The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas 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 Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Newspapers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Announced: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Large: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kronprinzessin: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

What does chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas contain?

How do I study chapter 2 of The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas?

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

How to read The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas