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The Rambles of a Rat
The Rambles of a Rat

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Rambles of a Rat is here in full — 53 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Rambles of a Rat
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FIRST VIEW OF ST.
PETERSBURG.
"Cronstadt!
Cronstadt!"
I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.
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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 Rambles of a Rat

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Rambles of a Rat is here in full — 53 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FIRST VIEW OF ST.
Line 2
PETERSBURG.
/ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/
Line 3
"Cronstadt!
Line 4
Cronstadt!"
Line 5
I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.
/aɪ hɜːrd ðə ʃaʊt frʌm ðə dek wʌn ˈiːvnɪŋ wen ðə sʌn wɑːz ˈɡoʊɪŋ daʊn ənd hɪz red dɪsk siːmd ˈrestɪŋ ɑːn ðə ˈhiːvɪŋ ˈwɔːtərz waɪl tuː ðə iːst ðə strɔːŋ ˌfɔːrtəfəˈkeɪʃənz stʊd ˈklɪrli dɪˈfaɪnd əˈɡenst ðə skaɪ beɪðd ɪn hɪz ˈɡloʊɪŋ laɪt/

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.

bathed verb US /beɪðd/

past form of “bathe” — cleanse the entire body

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

defined adjective US /dɪˈfaɪnd/

clearly characterized or delimited

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

disk noun US /dɪsk/

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

fortifications noun US /ˌfɔːrtəfəˈkeɪʃənz/

plural of “fortification” — defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

glowing adjective US /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/

highly enthusiastic

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

heaving noun US /ˈhiːvɪŋ/

an upward movement (especially a rhythmical rising and falling)

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

petersburg noun US /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/

a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War

From this reading “PETERSBURG.”

resting verb US /ˈrestɪŋ/

-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position

From this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

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.

clearly defined adverb + adjective

In this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

against the sky preposition + article + noun counted as “against … sky”

In this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

bathed in verb + particle counted as “bathe in”

In this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

shout from verb + particle

In this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

resting on verb + particle counted as “rest on”

rest on for support

In this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

from the deck preposition + article + noun counted as “from … deck”

In this reading “I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.”

All words in this reading · 42

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.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

bathedverbUS /beɪðd/

past form of “bathe” — cleanse the entire body

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

Cronstadt

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

From this reading "Cronstadt!

decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

definedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfaɪnd/

clearly characterized or delimited

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

disknounUS /dɪsk/

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading FIRST VIEW OF ST.

fortificationsnounUS /ˌfɔːrtəfəˈkeɪʃənz/

plural of “fortification” — defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/

highly enthusiastic

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

heavingnounUS /ˈhiːvɪŋ/

an upward movement (especially a rhythmical rising and falling)

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading FIRST VIEW OF ST.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

PETERSBURGnounUS /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/

a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War

From this reading PETERSBURG.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

restingverbUS /ˈrestɪŋ/

-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

shoutverbUS /ʃaʊt/

utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

ST

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

From this reading FIRST VIEW OF ST.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

VIEWnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading FIRST VIEW OF ST.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading I heard the shout from the deck one evening when the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light.

Chapter 15 of The Rambles of a Rat by A. L. O. E. holds 53 sentences, grouped into 11 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 15 of The Rambles of a Rat contain?

Chapter 15 holds 53 sentences of The Rambles of a Rat, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Rambles of a Rat by A. L. O. E. exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 53 sentences, grouped into 11 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 15 of The Rambles of a Rat?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 15 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Rambles of a Rat

Common questions about reading The Rambles of a Rat by A. L. O. E. on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Rambles of a Rat?

Yes. All 1421 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29863 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rambles of a Rat is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29863, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rambles of a Rat take to read?

About 118 minutes of reading across 285 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rambles of a Rat section by section

How to work through The Rambles of a Rat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Rambles of a Rat 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 Rambles of a Rat

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Rambles of a Rat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rambles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rambles of a Rat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nelson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rambles of a Rat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rambles of a Rat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edinburgh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rambles of a Rat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.