Chapter 2 of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’ MR. CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left. As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly. ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
Chapter 2 of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
slightly open
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
with a frown; while frowning
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading “CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.”
inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
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 “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
In this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
slightly open
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
any thing at all
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
with a frown; while frowning
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
throughout a period of time
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
precisely, exactly
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
in an aggressive manner
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CLISSOLD entered the porch, scattering the affrighted fowls right and left.
in or at that place or location
From this reading ‘O’ER ALL THERE HUNG A SHADOW AND A FEAR.’
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading ‘We never buy anything of pedlars,’ she said, sharply.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
which person or people
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading As they sped cackling away, the house door, which had stood ajar, was opened wider by a middle-aged woman, who looked at the intruder frowningly.
Chapter 2 of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon holds 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 102 sentences of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2878 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58929 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58929, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 239 minutes of reading across 576 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of A Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3) 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 Strange World: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
