Chapter 2 of A Fool There Was is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Fool There Was is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Hold on!" he cried in her ear. "Jack's gone!" Though but half conscious, she understood. Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded. Blake struck out again.
Chapter 2 of A Fool There Was is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading “Blake struck out again.”
compartment where the pilot sits while flying the aircraft
From this reading “Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.”
intentionally conceived
From this reading “Though but half conscious, she understood.”
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading “Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.”
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading “Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.”
inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly
From this reading “Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.”
possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount
From this reading “"Jack's gone!"”
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading “Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.”
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.
anew
From this reading Blake struck out again.
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading Blake struck out again.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Though but half conscious, she understood.
compartment where the pilot sits while flying the aircraft
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
intentionally conceived
From this reading Though but half conscious, she understood.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "Jack's gone!"
inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Though but half conscious, she understood.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount
From this reading "Jack's gone!"
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Hold on!" he cried in her ear.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Blake struck out again.
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Though but half conscious, she understood.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Blake struck out again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though but half conscious, she understood.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading Though but half conscious, she understood.
a Caucasian
From this reading Her firm, white fingers gripped the cutting edge of the cockpit rail; she nodded.
Chapter 2 of A Fool There Was by Porter Emerson Browne holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 437 sentences of A Fool There Was, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Fool There Was by Porter Emerson Browne exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Fool There Was by Porter Emerson Browne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3077 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6305 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6305, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 256 minutes of reading across 616 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Fool There Was section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of A Fool There Was 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 Fool There Was, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
