Chapter 17 of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George. Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him. He was also well known for his construction of great bridges. [246] "In its proper place." [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
Chapter 17 of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
feel admiration for
From this reading “[247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."”
large or big relative to something else
From this reading “[247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."”
United States labor leader who organized the longshoremen (1901-1990)
From this reading “He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.”
the act of constructing something
From this reading “He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.”
plural of “improvement” — a change for the better; progress in development
From this reading “Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.”
a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks
From this reading “Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.”
put together out of artificial or natural components or parts
From this reading “Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.”
English railway pioneer who built the first passenger railway in 1825 (1781-1848)
From this reading “[245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.”
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 “[247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."”
In this reading “[246] "In its proper place."”
In this reading “He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [246] "In its proper place."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
feel admiration for
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
in addition
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
large or big relative to something else
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
United States labor leader who organized the longshoremen (1901-1990)
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
the act of constructing something
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
plural of “find” — a productive insight
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading [247] "A fool always finds a bigger fool to admire him."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
plural of “improvement” — a change for the better; progress in development
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading [246] "In its proper place."
apprehended with certainty
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
put together out of artificial or natural components or parts
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
and nothing more
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading [246] "In its proper place."
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading [246] "In its proper place."
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
a male human offspring
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
English railway pioneer who built the first passenger railway in 1825 (1781-1848)
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [245] Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the only son of George.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He was also well known for his construction of great bridges.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Most of the early improvements in locomotive manufacture were due to him.
Chapter 17 of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II by Augustus De Morgan holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 17 holds 402 sentences of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II by Augustus De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 17 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 A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II by Augustus De Morgan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7048 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26408 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26408, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 587 minutes of reading across 1410 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II 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 A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
