Chapter 20 of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PREY OF THE RIVER. "Help! Help!" shouted Dudley. "Do you want to drown me?" Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
Chapter 20 of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel is here in full — 146 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.
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading “Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.”
cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “"Do you want to drown me?"”
covered with water
From this reading “Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.”
having the nature of or resulting from malice
From this reading “Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.”
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading “THE PREY OF THE RIVER.”
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading “Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.”
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading “Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.”
displeasing to the senses
From this reading “Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.”
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 Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you want to drown me?"
cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading "Do you want to drown me?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Help!" shouted Dudley.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
covered with water
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Help!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
having the nature of or resulting from malice
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Do you want to drown me?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PREY OF THE RIVER.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading THE PREY OF THE RIVER.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading THE PREY OF THE RIVER.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading Help!" shouted Dudley.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
required or under orders
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PREY OF THE RIVER.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Do you want to drown me?"
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "Do you want to drown me?"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and malicious trick.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you want to drown me?"
Chapter 20 of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel by Florence Warden holds 146 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 20 holds 146 sentences of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel by Florence Warden exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 146 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 20 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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Yes. All 4251 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16092 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16092, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 354 minutes of reading across 851 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Wharf by the Docks: A Novel 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 Wharf by the Docks: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
