Chapter 2 of American Sketches is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of American Sketches is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament. There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel. A journey in Europe is like a page of history. You pass from one century to another. You see a busy world through the window.
Chapter 2 of American Sketches is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
a period of 100 years
From this reading “You pass from one century to another.”
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading “These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.”
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading “These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.”
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading “There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.”
plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading “These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.”
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading “A journey in Europe is like a page of history.”
your usual mood
From this reading “These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.”
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 There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading You pass from one century to another.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
for the reason that
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading You see a busy world through the window.
a period of 100 years
From this reading You pass from one century to another.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading A journey in Europe is like a page of history.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading You pass from one century to another.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading A journey in Europe is like a page of history.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading A journey in Europe is like a page of history.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading A journey in Europe is like a page of history.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading You pass from one century to another.
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading A journey in Europe is like a page of history.
go across or through
From this reading You pass from one century to another.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You see a busy world through the window.
your usual mood
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading These differences of custom are interesting, because they correspond to differences of temperament.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading You see a busy world through the window.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading You see a busy world through the window.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading There is a far deeper difference in the character of the country through which you travel.
Chapter 2 of American Sketches by Charles Whibley holds 456 sentences, grouped into 92 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 456 sentences of American Sketches, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of American Sketches by Charles Whibley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 456 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 American Sketches by Charles Whibley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2245 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25786 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25786, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 187 minutes of reading across 449 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through American Sketches section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of American Sketches 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 American Sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
