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The shipwreck
The shipwreck

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The shipwreck is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The shipwreck
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.
PAGE 66, l.
20.
_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.
PAGE 66, l.
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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 shipwreck

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The shipwreck is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.
/noʊts ɑːn ðə ˈsekənd ˈkæntoʊ/
Line 2
PAGE 66, l.
Line 3
20.
Line 4
_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.
/ənd ðə dɑːrk skʌd ɪn swɪft səkˈseʃən flaɪz ðə skʌd ɪz ə neɪm ˈɡɪvən baɪ ˈsiːmən tuː ðə ˈloʊəst ənd ˈlaɪtəst klaʊdz wɪtʃ ɑːr ˈswɪftli ˈdrɪvən əˈlɔːŋ ðə ˈætməsfɪr baɪ ðə wɪndz/
Line 5
PAGE 66, l.

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.

canto noun US /ˈkæntoʊ/

the highest part (usually the melody) in a piece of choral music

From this reading “NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.”

flies noun US /flaɪz/

(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

lightest adjective US /ˈlaɪtəst/

superlative of “light” — of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

lowest adjective US /ˈloʊəst/

lowest in rank or importance

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

scud verb US /skʌd/

run or move very quickly or hastily

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

seamen noun US /ˈsiːmən/

plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

succession noun US /səkˈseʃən/

a following of one thing after another in time

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

winds noun US /wɪndz/

plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

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.

swift succession adjective + noun

In this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

by the winds preposition + article + noun counted as “by … wind”

In this reading “_And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.”

All words in this reading · 33

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.

20

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

From this reading 20.

66

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

From this reading PAGE 66, l.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

atmospherenounUS /ˈætməsfɪr/

a particular environment or surrounding influence

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

CANTOnounUS /ˈkæntoʊ/

the highest part (usually the melody) in a piece of choral music

From this reading NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

drivenadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪvən/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

fliesnounUS /flaɪz/

(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

lnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading PAGE 66, l.

lightestadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəst/

superlative of “light” — of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

lowestadjectiveUS /ˈloʊəst/

lowest in rank or importance

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

NOTESnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.

PAGEnounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading PAGE 66, l.

scudverbUS /skʌd/

run or move very quickly or hastily

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

seamennounUS /ˈsiːmən/

plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

SECONDnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.

successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/

a following of one thing after another in time

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading NOTES ON THE SECOND CANTO.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

windsnounUS /wɪndz/

plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading _And the dark scud in swift succession flies._ The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

Chapter 4 of The shipwreck by William Falconer holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 of The shipwreck contain?

Chapter 4 holds 199 sentences of The shipwreck, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The shipwreck by William Falconer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 of The shipwreck?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 shipwreck

Common questions about reading The shipwreck by William Falconer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The shipwreck?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The shipwreck is used?

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

How long does The shipwreck take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The shipwreck section by section

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

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The shipwreck

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The shipwreck, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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