The Stolen Aeroplane

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Stolen Aeroplane is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. L. (Harry Lincoln) Sayler • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.

Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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Chapter XI Reading 1/31

The Stolen Aeroplane

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Stolen Aeroplane is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.

/dʌmpt ˈɪntuː ðə mɑːrʃ/

Line 2

Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

Line 3

Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

Line 4

When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

/wen ðə tʃɪl naɪt briːz strʌk ðə bɔɪz feɪs ənd hiː faʊnd hɪmˈself ˈseɪlɪŋ ˈɪntuː wʌt wɑːz laɪk ə blæk keɪv fɔːr ə ˈmoʊmənt hiː wɑːz ˈpænɪk ˈstrɪkən/

Line 5

Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

/ʌv kɔːrs hiː hæd nɑːt ˈteɪkən sʌtʃ ə ˈhæzərdəs tʃæns wɪˈθaʊt ə plæn/

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.

Bud's noun US /bʌdz/

possessive form of “bud” — a partially opened flower

Curtiss noun US /ˈkɜːrtɪs/

United States industrialist and aviation pioneer (1878-1930)

From this reading “Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.”

dumped verb US /dʌmpt/

past form of “dump” — throw away as refuse

From this reading “DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.”

hazardous adjective US /ˈhæzərdəs/

involving risk or danger

From this reading “Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.”

Plunging verb US /ˈplʌndʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading “Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.”

predicament noun US /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/

a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one

From this reading “Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.”

stricken adjective US /ˈstrɪkən/

grievously affected especially by disease

From this reading “When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.”

Wright noun US /raɪt/

United States writer of detective novels (1888-1939)

From this reading “Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.”

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.

two hundred noun + noun

being ten more than one hundred ninety

In this reading “Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.”

hundred feet noun + noun counted as “hundred foot”

In this reading “Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.”

for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.”

Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.”

DUMPED INTO verb + particle counted as “dump into”

In this reading “DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.”

Plunging through verb + particle counted as “plunge through”

In this reading “Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.”

night breeze noun + noun

In this reading “When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.”

through the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “through … dark”

In this reading “Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

aeroplanenoun

an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

breezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

BrothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

Bud'snounUS /bʌdz/

possessive form of “bud” — a partially opened flower

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

cavenounUS /keɪv/

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

chillnounUS /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

CurtissnounUS /ˈkɜːrtɪs/

United States industrialist and aviation pioneer (1878-1930)

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

DUMPEDverbUS /dʌmpt/

past form of “dump” — throw away as refuse

From this reading DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

Farman

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

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

hazardousadjectiveUS /ˈhæzərdəs/

involving risk or danger

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

INTOprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.

Latham

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

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

MARSHnounUS /mɑːrʃ/

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

moonlessadjective

without a moon or a visible moon

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

panicnounUS /ˈpænɪk/

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

PlungingverbUS /ˈplʌndʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

predicamentnounUS /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/

a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

sailingnounUS /ˈseɪlɪŋ/

the work of a sailor

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

strickenadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪkən/

grievously affected especially by disease

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DUMPED INTO THE MARSH.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Plunging through the dark in an aeroplane, two hundred feet or more above the earth and in a moonless night, was Bud’s predicament.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the chill night breeze struck the boy’s face and he found himself sailing into what was like a black cave, for a moment he was panic stricken.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Of course, he had not taken such a hazardous chance without a plan.

WrightnounUS /raɪt/

United States writer of detective novels (1888-1939)

From this reading Up to that time, at least, neither the Wright Brothers, Mr. Farman, Mr. Latham, nor Mr. Curtiss had had such an experience.

Chapter 11 of The Stolen Aeroplane by H. L. (Harry Lincoln) Sayler holds 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 11 of The Stolen Aeroplane contain?

Chapter 11 holds 157 sentences of The Stolen Aeroplane, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Stolen Aeroplane by H. L. (Harry Lincoln) Sayler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 11 of The Stolen Aeroplane?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #54579, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 253 minutes of reading across 608 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Stolen Aeroplane

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Chapter XI

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