Chapter 2 of A Matter of Importance 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 Matter of Importance is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He led off to the eastward. He thought of Timmy's girl. He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her. She was on the _Cerberus_. It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
Chapter 2 of A Matter of Importance 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 “cop” — uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading “It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.”
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
From this reading “It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.”
moving toward the east
From this reading “He led off to the eastward.”
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.”
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading “He led off to the eastward.”
take in marriage
From this reading “He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.”
transport commercially
From this reading “It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.”
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading “It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.”
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.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
(Greek mythology) the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades; son of Typhon
From this reading She was on the _Cerberus_.
plural of “cop” — uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
moving toward the east
From this reading He led off to the eastward.
a young female
From this reading He thought of Timmy's girl.
the act of departing
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He led off to the eastward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading He led off to the eastward.
take in marriage
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He thought of Timmy's girl.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He led off to the eastward.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was on the _Cerberus_.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was on the _Cerberus_.
transport commercially
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
carry out
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He led off to the eastward.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He thought of Timmy's girl.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He thought of Timmy's girl.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He led off to the eastward.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He'd never seen her, but Timmy was going to marry her.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading It was the job of the cops to take care of whatever dilemma that ship might be in.
Chapter 2 of A Matter of Importance by Murray Leinster 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 Matter of Importance, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Matter of Importance by Murray Leinster 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 Matter of Importance by Murray Leinster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23636 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23636, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 105 minutes of reading across 253 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Matter of Importance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of A Matter of Importance 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 Matter of Importance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
