Chapter 21 of The secret of the caves is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The secret of the caves is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun. It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured. The white cloud was flour! "A hit!" roared Captain Royal. "A hit!
Chapter 21 of The secret of the caves is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
past form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading “It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.”
a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
From this reading “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain
From this reading “The white cloud was flour!”
possessive form of “hardy” — United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)
From this reading “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges
From this reading “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent
From this reading “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
not injured physically or mentally
From this reading “It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.”
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 “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
In this reading “OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.”
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 OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
past form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
a steep high face of rock
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
without deviation
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain
From this reading The white cloud was flour!
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
set up or found
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
possessive form of “hardy” — United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
cause to move by striking
From this reading "A hit!" roared Captain Royal.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
above and across; more than
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
past form of “roar” — make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading "A hit!" roared Captain Royal.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
not injured physically or mentally
From this reading It was not smoke, and although Captain Royal had aimed the gun directly at him, he found that he was uninjured.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
a Caucasian
From this reading OVER THE CLIFF To Frank Hardy's unbounded astonishment, the explosion was followed by a white cloud that rose from the barrel of the shotgun.
Chapter 21 of The secret of the caves by Franklin W. Dixon holds 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 147 sentences of The secret of the caves, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The secret of the caves by Franklin W. Dixon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The secret of the caves, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
