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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Chapter XV · Chapter 15: CHAPTER XV

A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

Chapter 15: CHAPTER XV, section 1: A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore. Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no mo
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.
Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.
He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.
However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.
He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.
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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.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Chapter XV · Chapter 15: CHAPTER XV

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.
Line 2
Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.
Line 3
He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.
Line 4
However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.
Line 5
He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

later adverb US /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading “A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.”

Collocations
A fewA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
few minutesA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
All words in this reading · 77

Every word is available to listen to. 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 A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

bar

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

bark

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

confidently

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

currentnounUS /ˈcurrent/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

depth

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

downward

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

drewnounUS /drew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

drifted

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

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

expected

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

faster

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

few

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

finally

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

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

following

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

garments

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

halfway

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

hand

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

HoweveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

hundred

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

Illinois

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

jacket

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

low

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

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

middle

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

minutes

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

more

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

now

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

out

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

permit

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

piece

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

place

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

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

pocket

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

put

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

quartering

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

rather

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

reached

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

remaining

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

safe

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

shoal

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

shore

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

streaming

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

strucknounUS /struck/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

swam

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

swept

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

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

swim

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

then

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

Tom

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

upstreamnounUS /ˈupstream/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected.

wading

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

water

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

From this reading A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

woods

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

From this reading He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

yards

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

From this reading Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards.

Chapter Quiz

What is the central narrative or theme conveyed in this section of Chapter 15?

Which core linguistic virtue or character attribute is emphasized in this passage?

According to the text: "CHAPTER XXVI....", what tone does the author establish?

Shadowing Practice

Narrator: CHAPTER XXVI.
Narrator: The Haunted House—Sleepy Ghosts—A Box of Gold—Bitter Luck