Chapter 2 of A First Reader is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A First Reader is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
They are coming near, near, nearer! Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder! They must be almost here. Now do you know who is coming? Who is coming in his big sleigh?
Chapter 2 of A First Reader is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Who is coming in his big sleigh?”
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading “They are coming near, near, nearer!”
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading “Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!”
comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading “Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!”
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading “They are coming near, near, nearer!”
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading “They are coming near, near, nearer!”
a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
From this reading “Who is coming in his big sleigh?”
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.
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading They must be almost here.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are coming near, near, nearer!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They must be almost here.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Who is coming in his big sleigh?
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading They are coming near, near, nearer!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Now do you know who is coming?
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading They must be almost here.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Who is coming in his big sleigh?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Who is coming in his big sleigh?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now do you know who is coming?
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Now do you know who is coming?
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!
comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading They must be almost here.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading They are coming near, near, nearer!
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading They are coming near, near, nearer!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now do you know who is coming?
a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
From this reading Who is coming in his big sleigh?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hear the bells, loud, loud, louder!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are coming near, near, nearer!
which person or people
From this reading Now do you know who is coming?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Now do you know who is coming?
Chapter 2 of A First Reader by Frank E. (Frank Ellsworth) Spaulding holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 2 holds 410 sentences of A First Reader, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A First Reader by Frank E. (Frank Ellsworth) Spaulding exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 2 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 First Reader by Frank E. (Frank Ellsworth) Spaulding on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A First Reader section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of A First Reader 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 First Reader, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
