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The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
All right,” I called out, it’s done.”
_THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.
The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.
My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.
The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.
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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 Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”
Line 2
_THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.
/ðə twelfθ ˈtʃæptər ˈdestəni ənd ˌdestəˈneɪʃən wiː boʊθ ˈoʊpənd ˈaʊər aɪz ðen bʌmpt ˈaʊər hedz təˈɡeðər wɪð ə kræk ɪn ˈaʊər ˈiːɡərnəs tuː liːn ˈoʊvər ənd siː wer wiː wɜːr tuː ɡoʊ/
Line 3
The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.
/ðə ˈætləs leɪ ˈoʊ.pən æt ə mæp kɔːld tʃɑːrt ʌv ðə saʊθ ətˈlæntɪk ˈoʊʃən/
Line 4
My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.
Line 5
The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.
/ðə neɪm ʌv ɪt wɑːz ˈprɪntɪd soʊ smɔːl ðæt ðə ˈdɑːktər hæd tuː ɡet aʊt hɪz strɔːŋ ˈspektəkəlz tuː red ɪt/

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.

Atlantic noun US /ətˈlæntɪk/

the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east

From this reading “The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.”

atlas noun US /ˈætləs/

(Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders

From this reading “The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.”

bumped verb US /bʌmpt/

past form of “bump” — knock against with force or violence

From this reading “_THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.”

center noun US /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading “My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.”

Chart noun US /tʃɑːrt/

a visual display of information

destination noun US /ˌdestəˈneɪʃən/

the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)

From this reading “_THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.”

map verb US /mæp/

make a map of; show or establish the features of details of

From this reading “The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.”

twelfth adjective US /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading “_THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

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 right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

AtlanticnounUS /ətˈlæntɪk/

the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

atlasnounUS /ˈætləs/

(Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

bumpedverbUS /bʌmpt/

past form of “bump” — knock against with force or violence

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

ChartnounUS /tʃɑːrt/

a visual display of information

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

crackverbUS /kræk/

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

DESTINATIONnounUS /ˌdestəˈneɪʃən/

the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

DESTINYnounUS /ˈdestəni/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading “All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

eagernessnounUS /ˈiːɡərnəs/

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

it's

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

From this reading “All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

leanverbUS /liːn/

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

mapverbUS /mæp/

make a map of; show or establish the features of details of

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

OceannounUS /ˈoʊʃən/

a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

pencil-point

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

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

printedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

restingverbUS /ˈrestɪŋ/

-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading “All right,” I called out, “it’s done.”

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

SouthnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic Ocean_.

spectaclesnounUS /ˈspektəkəlz/

(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The name of it was printed so small that the Doctor had to get out his strong spectacles to read it.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

tinyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

TWELFTHadjectiveUS /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny island.

WEpronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _THE TWELFTH CHAPTER_ DESTINY AND DESTINATION WE both opened our eyes; then bumped our heads together with a crack in our eagerness to lean over and see where we were to go.

Chapter 11 of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Voyages of Doctor Dolittle contain?

Chapter 11 holds 198 sentences of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 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 11 of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle?

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 11 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

Common questions about reading The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle?

Yes. All 4755 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1154, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle take to read?

About 396 minutes of reading across 951 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle section by section

How to work through The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle 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 Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fredk
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stokes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fourth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.