Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Red Cross Barge
The Red Cross Barge

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Red Cross Barge is here in full — 264 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Red Cross Barge
Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.
Everything was packed and ready for departure.
And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.
All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.
Not that there was much to say or to hear.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Red Cross Barge

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Red Cross Barge is here in full — 264 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.
Line 2
Everything was packed and ready for departure.
/ˈevriθɪŋ wɑːz pækt ənd ˈredi fɔːr dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/
Line 3
And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.
Line 4
All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.
Line 5
Not that there was much to say or to hear.
/nɑːt ðæt ðer wɑːz mʌtʃ tuː seɪ ɔːr tuː hiːr/

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.

headquarters noun US /ˈhedkwɔːrtərz/

(usually plural) the office that serves as the administrative center of an enterprise

From this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

Herr noun US /her/

a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English

From this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

intelligently adverb US /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading “All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.”

Keller noun US /ˈkelər/

United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading “And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.”

Max noun US /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading “And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.”

steaming adjective US /ˈstiːmɪŋ/

filled with steam or emitting moisture in the form of vapor or mist

From this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

stirring noun US /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/

agitating a liquid with an implement

From this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

surgeons noun US /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading “And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.”

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.

parish priest noun + noun

In this reading “And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.”

hot coffee adjective + noun

In this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

under the porch preposition + article + noun counted as “under … porch”

In this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

for five preposition + noun

In this reading “The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Everything was packed and ready for departure.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

coffeenounUS /ˈkɑːfi/

a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

CrossverbUS /krɔːs/

travel across or pass over

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

cupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading Everything was packed and ready for departure.

directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

Doktor

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

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Everything was packed and ready for departure.

finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

headquartersnounUS /ˈhedkwɔːrtərz/

(usually plural) the office that serves as the administrative center of an enterprise

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

HerrnounUS /her/

a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

intelligentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

KellernounUS /ˈkelər/

United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

MademoisellenounUS /ˌmædəməˈzel/

small silvery drumfish often mistaken for white perch; found along coasts of United States from New York to Mexico

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

MaxnounUS /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

packedadjectiveUS /pækt/

extremely crowed or filled to capacity

From this reading Everything was packed and ready for departure.

parishnounUS /ˈpærɪʃ/

a local church community

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

priestnounUS /priːst/

a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading Everything was packed and ready for departure.

RednounUS /red/

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

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

Rouannes

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

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

Stabsarzt

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

staffnounUS /stæf/

personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

steamingadjectiveUS /ˈstiːmɪŋ/

filled with steam or emitting moisture in the form of vapor or mist

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

stirringnounUS /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/

agitating a liquid with an implement

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

surgeonsnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Not that there was much to say or to hear.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading All final directions had been given to, and intelligently noted down by, Mademoiselle Rouannes.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

Valoise

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

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading And the German Red Cross surgeons and their staff were now only waiting for the return of the Herr Doktor Max Keller, and for the parish priest of Valoise.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The Herr Stabsarzt was enjoying a steaming cup of hot coffee under the porch of the church which had been his headquarters for five stirring days.

Chapter 5 of The Red Cross Barge by Marie Belloc Lowndes holds 264 sentences, grouped into 53 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 5 of The Red Cross Barge contain?

Chapter 5 holds 264 sentences of The Red Cross Barge, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Red Cross Barge by Marie Belloc Lowndes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 264 sentences, grouped into 53 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 5 of The Red Cross Barge?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Red Cross Barge

Common questions about reading The Red Cross Barge by Marie Belloc Lowndes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Red Cross Barge?

Yes. All 1766 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37294 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Red Cross Barge is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37294, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Red Cross Barge take to read?

About 147 minutes of reading across 354 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Red Cross Barge section by section

How to work through The Red Cross Barge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Red Cross Barge 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 Red Cross Barge

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Red Cross Barge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Barge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Barge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Elder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Barge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Waterloo
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Barge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.