Chapter 4 of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Torpedoed "Port five--steady." "Port five it is, sir." Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom. It was night. Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
Chapter 4 of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
(plural) an optical instrument designed for simultaneous use by both eyes
From this reading “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
a shifty deceptive person
From this reading “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
-ing form of “gang” — act as an organized group
From this reading “Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.”
-ing form of “hamper” — prevent the progress or free movement of
From this reading “Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.”
United States religious leader who was the first person born in the United States to be canonized (1774-1821)
From this reading “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
-ing form of “shelter” — provide shelter for
From this reading “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
with resolute determination
From this reading “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
past form of “torpedo” — attack or hit with torpedoes
From this reading “Torpedoed "Port five--steady."”
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 “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
In this reading “Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
(plural) an optical instrument designed for simultaneous use by both eyes
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
a shifty deceptive person
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Torpedoed "Port five--steady."
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
-ing form of “gang” — act as an organized group
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
-ing form of “hamper” — prevent the progress or free movement of
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
causing irritation or annoyance
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Port five it is, sir."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Port five it is, sir."
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
plural of “patch” — a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
persistent determination
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading Torpedoed "Port five--steady."
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
United States religious leader who was the first person born in the United States to be canonized (1774-1821)
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
-ing form of “shelter” — provide shelter for
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Port five it is, sir."
with resolute determination
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
make steady
From this reading Torpedoed "Port five--steady."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
past form of “torpedo” — attack or hit with torpedoes
From this reading Torpedoed "Port five--steady."
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Alec Seton, sheltering under the lee of the bridge dodger, raised his binoculars and peered steadfastly through the gloom.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was night.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Patches of fog were ganging around with irritating persistency, as if bent on following and hampering the _Bolero's_ movements.
Chapter 4 of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 4 holds 123 sentences of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2443 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45135 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45135, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 203 minutes of reading across 489 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge, April 1918, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
