Chapter 1 of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head. _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I.
Chapter 1 of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “_BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.”
a borough of Greater London on the Thames; zero degrees of longitude runs through Greenwich; time is measured relative to Greenwich Mean Time
From this reading “_BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.”
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.”
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading “_BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.”
any member of a ship's crew
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading “From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.”
plural of “swab” — implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a specimen of a secretion
From this reading “From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.”
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “IN TWO VOLUMES.”
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 “_BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.”
In this reading “IN TWO VOLUMES.”
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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
a borough of Greater London on the Thames; zero degrees of longitude runs through Greenwich; time is measured relative to Greenwich Mean Time
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
any member of a ship's crew
From this reading _BY THE OLD SAILOR_, AUTHOR OF “GREENWICH HOSPITAL,” ETC.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
plural of “swab” — implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a specimen of a secretion
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading From the Swabs on the Shoulders down to the Swabs in the Head.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading IN TWO VOLUMES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VOL.
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading IN TWO VOLUMES.
Chapter 1 of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) by M. H. (Matthew Henry) Barker holds 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 1 holds 431 sentences of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) by M. H. (Matthew Henry) Barker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 1 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 Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) by M. H. (Matthew Henry) Barker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1314 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72996 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72996, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 109 minutes of reading across 263 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) 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 Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
