Up The Baltic

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Up The Baltic is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Oliver Optic • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.

The book was evidently a very interesting one, for the reader hardly raised his eyes from it for a full hour, and then only to bestow a single glance upon the occupant of the ship's prison.

The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/54

Up The Baltic

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Up The Baltic is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

Line 2

Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

/piːks sæt nɪr ðə brɪɡ ənd red hɪz bʊk wɪtʃ hiː hæd proʊˈkjʊrd frʌm ðə laɪˈbreriːən ɪn ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən ʌv ə dʌl ənd ˈhevi ˌæftərˈnuːn/

Line 3

Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.

/klaɪd sæt ɪn hɪz keɪdʒ ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ ðə ˈboʊtsweɪn/

Line 4

The book was evidently a very interesting one, for the reader hardly raised his eyes from it for a full hour, and then only to bestow a single glance upon the occupant of the ship's prison.

/ðə bʊk wɑːz ˈevədəntli ə ˈveri ˈɪntrəstɪŋ wʌn fɔːr ðə ˈriːdər ˈhɑːrdli reɪzd hɪz aɪz frʌm ɪt fɔːr ə fʊl ˈaʊər ənd ðen ˈoʊnli tuː bɪˈstoʊ ə ˈsɪŋɡəl ɡlæns əˈpɑːn ðə ˈɑːkjəpənt ʌv ðə ʃɪps ˈprɪzən/

Line 5

The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

/ðə ˈvɑːljuːm wɑːz ˈpiːtər ˈsɪmpəl ənd ðə ˈboʊtsweɪn ˈrelɪʃt ðə ædˈventʃərz ʌv ðə ˈhɪroʊ/

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.

anticipation noun US /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/

an expectation

From this reading “Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.”

boatswain noun US /ˈboʊtsweɪn/

a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen

From this reading “Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.”

Clyde noun US /klaɪd/

a river in western Scotland that flows from the southern uplands into the Firth of Clyde; navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Glasgow

From this reading “Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.”

excursion noun US /ɪkˈskɜːrʒən/

a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading “AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.”

librarian noun US /laɪˈbreriːən/

a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services

From this reading “Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.”

occupant noun US /ˈɑːkjəpənt/

someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there

From this reading “The book was evidently a very interesting one, for the reader hardly raised his eyes from it for a full hour, and then only to bestow a single glance upon the occupant of the ship's prison.”

Peaks noun US /piːks/

plural of “peak” — the most extreme possible amount or value

From this reading “Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.”

relished verb US /ˈrelɪʃt/

past form of “relish” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading “The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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 anticipation preposition + noun

In this reading “Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

adventuresnounUS /ædˈventʃərz/

plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)

From this reading The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/

an expectation

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

bestowverbUS /bɪˈstoʊ/

present

From this reading The book was evidently a very interesting one, for the reader hardly raised his eyes from it for a full hour, and then only to bestow a single glance upon the occupant of the ship's prison.

boatswainnounUS /ˈboʊtsweɪn/

a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen

From this reading Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

brignounUS /brɪɡ/

two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/

an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept

From this reading Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.

ClydenounUS /klaɪd/

a river in western Scotland that flows from the southern uplands into the Firth of Clyde; navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Glasgow

From this reading Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.

dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

ELSINORE

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

From this reading AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

evidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

EXCURSIONnounUS /ɪkˈskɜːrʒən/

a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

KLAMPENBORG

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

From this reading AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

librariannounUS /laɪˈbreriːən/

a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

occupantnounUS /ˈɑːkjəpənt/

someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

PeaksnounUS /piːks/

plural of “peak” — the most extreme possible amount or value

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

procuredverbUS /proʊˈkjʊrd/

past form of “procure” — get by special effort

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

relishedverbUS /ˈrelɪʃt/

past form of “relish” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

ship'snounUS /ʃɪps/

possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight

SimpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN EXCURSION TO KLAMPENBORG AND ELSINORE.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

volumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading The volume was Peter Simple, and the boatswain relished the adventures of the hero.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading Clyde sat in his cage, watching the boatswain.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Peaks sat near the brig and read his book, which he had procured from the librarian in anticipation of a dull and heavy afternoon.

Chapter 16 of Up The Baltic by Oliver Optic holds 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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.

What does chapter 16 of Up The Baltic contain?

Chapter 16 holds 274 sentences of Up The Baltic, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Up The Baltic by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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 16 of Up The Baltic?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 5449 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26653 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #26653, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 454 minutes of reading across 1090 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Up The Baltic

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North: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Up The Baltic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XVI

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