Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Dive into the depths of the ocean with Captain Nemo in this thrilling science fiction adventure. This adaptation of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' by Jules Verne uses clear modern English for learners at CEFR B2 · Lexile 1050L.
Jules Verne · Level: B2 · 45 Chapters
Read the English chapter; select your language in the interactive lesson.
- Chapter 1. A SHIFTING REEF
In 1866, a mysterious, enormous, and fast-moving object in the sea causes global excitement and fear after damaging several ships.
Start learning - Chapter 2. PRO AND CON
Professor Aronnax, in New York, publicly argues the sea monster is a giant narwhal, leading to a US expedition on the frigate Abraham Lincoln, which he is invited to join.
Start learning - Chapter 3. I FORM MY RESOLUTION
Professor Aronnax accepts a mission to hunt a sea monster, hastily prepares with his servant Conseil, and boards the frigate Abraham Lincoln as it departs New York.
Start learning - Chapter 4. NED LAND
The crew of the Abraham Lincoln eagerly hunts the sea monster, while Professor Aronnax discusses its possible existence with the skeptical harpooner, Ned Land.
Start learning - Chapter 5. AT A VENTURE
The Abraham Lincoln searches the Pacific for the monster, with crew morale falling until a final three-day ultimatum is given.
Start learning - Chapter 6. AT FULL STEAM
The crew of the Abraham Lincoln pursues a brilliant, electric narwhal, engaging in a high-speed chase and a failed attack.
Start learning - Chapter 7. AN UNKNOWN SPECIES OF WHALE
Professor Aronnax and Conseil are thrown overboard, struggle to survive, and discover the 'monster' is a metal submarine.
Start learning - Chapter 8. MOBILIS IN MOBILI
Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land are imprisoned in a dark, mysterious submarine cell, then meet two enigmatic strangers who do not understand their languages.
Start learning - Chapter 9. NED LAND'S TEMPERS
The prisoners awaken in their cell, struggling with stale air until the Nautilus surfaces, bringing fresh sea breeze and revealing its ventilation system.
Start learning - Chapter 10. THE MAN OF THE SEAS
Captain Nemo reveals his identity, explains his past break with humanity, and offers the prisoners conditional freedom aboard the Nautilus.
Start learning - Chapter 11. ALL BY ELECTRICITY
Captain Nemo explains the Nautilus's navigation instruments and reveals that electricity, derived from seawater, powers the entire submarine.
Start learning - Chapter 12. SOME FIGURES
Captain Nemo explains the Nautilus's dimensions, construction, and diving mechanisms to Professor Aronnax.
Start learning - Chapter 13. THE BLACK RIVER
Captain Nemo takes celestial observations on the Nautilus's platform, then reveals the underwater world through the salon's illuminated windows as they enter the Kuro-Scivo current.
Start learning - Chapter 14. A NOTE OF INVITATION
After days of solitude, Captain Nemo invites Aronnax and his companions on a submarine hunting expedition, explaining the advanced diving technology they will use.
Start learning - Chapter 15. A WALK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
Captain Nemo leads Professor Aronnax and Conseil on a walk across the ocean floor using advanced diving suits and electric guns.
Start learning - Chapter 16. A SUBMARINE FOREST
Captain Nemo leads the narrator on a walk through a bizarre underwater forest, encountering strange flora, fauna, and dangers before returning to the Nautilus.
Start learning - Chapter 17. FOUR THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE PACIFIC
The Nautilus sails through the Pacific, observing marine life and a sunken ship, while Captain Nemo reflects on the ocean's vitality.
Start learning - Chapter 18. VANIKORO
The Nautilus arrives at Vanikoro, where Captain Nemo shows Professor Aronnax the coral-encrusted wreckage of La Perouse's lost expedition.
Start learning - Chapter 19. TORRES STRAITS
The Nautilus runs aground in the treacherous Torres Strait, and the crew is granted permission to go ashore on the Island of Gilboa.
Start learning - Chapter 20. A FEW DAYS ON LAND
Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land explore a lush tropical island, gathering food and hunting exotic wildlife while enjoying temporary freedom from the Nautilus.
Start learning - Chapter 21. CAPTAIN NEMO'S THUNDERBOLT
The crew returns from hunting to find hostile Papuan natives, who later surround the Nautilus. Captain Nemo uses an electrified railing to repel their boarding attempt, allowing the submarine to depart safely.
Start learning - Chapter 22. "AeGRI SOMNIA"
The Nautilus travels swiftly, observes phosphorescent sea life, and Captain Nemo, agitated by something on the horizon, imprisons and drugs the narrator and his companions.
Start learning - Chapter 23. THE CORAL KINGDOM
Captain Nemo asks Aronnax to treat a mortally wounded crewman, then leads a solemn underwater funeral in a coral forest cemetery.
Start learning - Chapter 24. THE INDIAN OCEAN
The Nautilus travels through the Indian Ocean, where Aronnax observes diverse marine life, a milk sea phenomenon, and reflects on Captain Nemo's mysterious motives.
Start learning - Chapter 25. A NOVEL PROPOSAL OF CAPTAIN NEMO'S
Captain Nemo invites Aronnax and his companions to visit a pearl fishery near Ceylon, revealing the excursion will involve hunting sharks.
Start learning - Chapter 26. A PEARL OF TEN MILLIONS
Captain Nemo leads the narrator on a pearl-diving expedition where they witness a shark attack on an Indian diver and intervene to save him.
Start learning - Chapter 27. THE RED SEA
The Nautilus enters the Red Sea, where Captain Nemo reveals the existence of a secret underwater passage beneath the Isthmus of Suez.
Start learning - Chapter 28. THE ARABIAN TUNNEL
The Nautilus approaches the Arabian coast, hunts a colossal dugong, and then navigates through a secret underwater tunnel from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
Start learning - Chapter 29. THE GRECIAN ARCHIPELAGO
The Nautilus enters the Mediterranean, where Ned Land plots escape, and Captain Nemo secretly transfers gold to a diver near a volcanic eruption.
Start learning - Chapter 30. THE MEDITERRANEAN IN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS
The Nautilus traverses the Mediterranean at high speed in two days, passing through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Atlantic.
Start learning - Chapter 31. VIGO BAY
Ned Land plans an escape, but Captain Nemo interrupts to show Aronnax a sunken treasure in Vigo Bay.
Start learning - Chapter 32. A VANISHED CONTINENT
Captain Nemo leads Professor Aronnax on a night dive to a volcanic mountain, revealing the sunken ruins of Atlantis.
Start learning - Chapter 33. THE SUBMARINE COAL-MINES
The Nautilus enters a submerged volcanic crater, which serves as Captain Nemo's secret harbor and a coal mine for his ship's power.
Start learning - Chapter 34. THE SARGASSO SEA
The Nautilus explores the Sargasso Sea, a vast seaweed meadow, and later dives to extreme depths to photograph the ocean floor.
Start learning - Chapter 35. CACHALOTS AND WHALES
The Nautilus encounters whales and cachalots, and Captain Nemo uses the submarine as a weapon to massacre the cachalots, defending the whales.
Start learning - Chapter 36. THE ICEBERG
The Nautilus navigates Antarctic ice, becomes trapped, and Captain Nemo decides to dive under the iceberg to reach the South Pole.
Start learning - Chapter 37. THE SOUTH POLE
Captain Nemo and Aronnax explore the Antarctic coast, awaiting a clear sky to determine if they have reached the South Pole.
Start learning - Chapter 38. ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT?
The Nautilus becomes trapped in an ice tunnel after an iceberg overturns, forcing the crew to navigate a dangerous, dazzling passage.
Start learning - Chapter 39. WANT OF AIR
Trapped under ice, the crew of the Nautilus races to dig their way out as their air supply dwindles and the water threatens to solidify around them.
Start learning - Chapter 40. FROM CAPE HORN TO THE AMAZON
The Nautilus travels north along South America's coast, allowing the prisoners to recover and observe marine life before reaching the Amazon.
Start learning - Chapter 41. THE POULPS
The Nautilus is attacked by giant squid, leading to a violent battle where a crew member is killed.
Start learning - Chapter 42. THE GULF STREAM
After a crewman's death, the Nautilus drifts aimlessly before following the Gulf Stream, where a storm and Ned Land's desperation lead to a tense confrontation with Captain Nemo.
Start learning - Chapter 43. FROM LATITUDE 47° 24' TO LONGITUDE 17° 28'
The Nautilus explores the Atlantic seabed, observes a transatlantic cable, and visits the wreck of the French warship Avenger on the anniversary of its sinking.
Start learning - Chapter 44. A HECATOMB
Captain Nemo, consumed by vengeance, deliberately rams and sinks a pursuing warship with the Nautilus, revealing his deep hatred and tragic past.
Start learning - Chapter 45. THE LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN NEMO
Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land attempt to escape the Nautilus during a storm, but their boat is torn away and hurled into the Maelstrom.
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