Chapter 12 of Tom Fairfield at Sea is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Tom Fairfield at Sea is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man. “Another passenger!” “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly. “Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom. “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
Chapter 12 of Tom Fairfield at Sea is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 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.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading ““We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.”
English chemist who was a pioneer in electrochemistry and who used it to isolate elements sodium and potassium and barium and boron and calcium and magnesium and chlorine (1778-1829)
From this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
worn and broken down by hard use
From this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading ““And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.”
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
common to or shared by two or more parties
From this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading ““Another passenger!””
past form of “tow” — drag behind
From this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
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.
make a point of doing something; act purposefully and intentionally
In this reading ““Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom.”
In this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
investigate scientifically
In this reading “A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.”
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 A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading “Another passenger!”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
English chemist who was a pioneer in electrochemistry and who used it to isolate elements sodium and potassium and barium and boron and calcium and magnesium and chlorine (1778-1829)
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
worn and broken down by hard use
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
engage in
From this reading “Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
common to or shared by two or more parties
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading “Another passenger!”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “And a dead one, too, I reckon,” added Abe, grimly.
cut with a saw
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading “Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
male cat
From this reading “Let’s make sure,” suggested Tom.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
past form of “tow” — drag behind
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
except if; if not
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We must get him aboard here, unless that boat is better than the derelict.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MUTUAL SURPRISE “Davy Jones!” gasped Joe Weldon, as he too looked into the boat he had towed to the derelict, and saw the man.
Chapter 12 of Tom Fairfield at Sea by Allen Chapman holds 159 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.
Chapter 12 holds 159 sentences of Tom Fairfield at Sea, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Tom Fairfield at Sea by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Tom Fairfield at Sea by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3269 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44013 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44013, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 272 minutes of reading across 654 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Fairfield at Sea section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Fairfield at Sea 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 Tom Fairfield at Sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
