Chapter 1 of Up The Baltic is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Up The Baltic is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA. "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America. "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship. "Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel. "Steady!" added the officer.
Chapter 1 of Up The Baltic is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading “"Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.”
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “"Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.”
an army officer who provides clothing and subsistence for troops
From this reading “"Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.”
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading “"Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.”
the right side of a ship or aircraft to someone who is aboard and facing the bow or nose
From this reading “"Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.”
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading “"Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.”
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
From this reading “A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.”
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading “"Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.”
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 “"Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.”
In this reading “"Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.”
In this reading “A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.”
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 WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.
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 "Steady!" added the officer.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading "Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
living quarters consisting of a superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.
an army officer who provides clothing and subsistence for troops
From this reading "Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading "Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.
transport commercially
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
the right side of a ship or aircraft to someone who is aboard and facing the bow or nose
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
make steady
From this reading "Steady!" added the officer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
From this reading A WAIF ON THE NORTH SEA.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading "Starboard, sir!" responded the quartermaster in charge of the wheel.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Starboard!" replied Judson, the officer of the deck, as he discovered the boat, which was drifting into the track of the ship.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "Boat on the weather bow, sir!" shouted the lookout on the top-gallant forecastle of the Young America.
Chapter 1 of Up The Baltic by Oliver Optic holds 214 sentences, grouped into 43 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 214 sentences of Up The Baltic, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Up The Baltic by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 214 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 Up The Baltic by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5449 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26653 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26653, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 454 minutes of reading across 1090 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Up The Baltic section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Up The Baltic 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 Up The Baltic, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
