Arthur's inheritance

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Arthur's inheritance is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Emma Leslie • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Arthur's inheritance

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

I've a good mind to call the police."

Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

"I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

"I hope you are not hurt?" he added.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter II Reading 1/30

Arthur's inheritance

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Arthur's inheritance is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

Line 2

I've a good mind to call the police."

Line 3

Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

/ˈɑːrθər hæd kəˈlaɪdɪd wɪð æn ˈeldərli ˈdʒentəlmən æt ðə ˈkɔːrnər ʌv ðə striːt ˈnɪrli ˈnɑːkɪŋ hɪm daʊn ənd hæd pɔːzd ɪn hɪz ˈɔːnwərd kərˈɪr tuː meɪk ʃʊr ðæt hiː hæd nɑːt hɜːrt hɪm/

Line 4

"I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

/aɪ æm ˈveri ˈsɑːri sɜːr hiː sed æz suːn æz hiː kʊd ɡet hɪz breθ fɔːr ðə rʌn ənd ðə ˈsʌdən kəˈlɪʒən hæd meɪd hɪm ˈstæɡər æz wel æz hɪz ˈvɪktəm/

Line 5

"I hope you are not hurt?" he added.

/aɪ hoʊp juː ɑːr nɑːt hɜːrt hiː ˈædəd/

Learner Dictionary

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.

career noun US /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

collided verb US /kəˈlaɪdɪd/

past form of “collide” — be incompatible; be or come into conflict

From this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

collision noun US /kəˈlɪʒən/

(physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together

From this reading “"I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.”

elderly adjective US /ˈeldərli/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

knocking noun US /ˈnɑːkɪŋ/

the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)

From this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

onward adverb US /ˈɔːnwərd/

forward in time or order or degree

From this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

stagger verb US /ˈstæɡər/

walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading “"I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.”

victim noun US /ˈvɪktəm/

an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading “"I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

elderly gentleman adjective + noun

In this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?”

along the street preposition + article + noun counted as “along … street”

In this reading “A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?”

make sure verb + adjective

make a point of doing something; act purposefully and intentionally

In this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

at the corner preposition + article + noun counted as “at … corner”

In this reading “Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.”

call the police verb + article + noun counted as “call … police”

In this reading “I've a good mind to call the police."”

mean by verb + particle

In this reading “A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading "I hope you are not hurt?" he added.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "I hope you are not hurt?" he added.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I've a good mind to call the police."

careernounUS /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

collidedverbUS /kəˈlaɪdɪd/

past form of “collide” — be incompatible; be or come into conflict

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

collisionnounUS /kəˈlɪʒən/

(physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading I've a good mind to call the police."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "I hope you are not hurt?" he added.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

I've

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I've a good mind to call the police."

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

knockingnounUS /ˈnɑːkɪŋ/

the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading I've a good mind to call the police."

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/

forward in time or order or degree

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

pacenounUS /peɪs/

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading I've a good mind to call the police."

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

SAYverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

staggerverbUS /ˈstæɡər/

walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

STARTverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

steam-engine

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I've a good mind to call the police."

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

victimnounUS /ˈvɪktəm/

an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading A START IN LIFE "I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine?

Chapter 2 of Arthur's inheritance by Emma Leslie holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

What does chapter 2 of Arthur's inheritance contain?

Chapter 2 holds 151 sentences of Arthur's inheritance, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Arthur's inheritance by Emma Leslie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Arthur's inheritance?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Arthur's inheritance

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Is this the complete text of Arthur's inheritance?

Yes. All 2325 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74276 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #74276, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 193 minutes of reading across 465 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Arthur's inheritance

Words and structures a reader meets early in Arthur's inheritance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

County: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthur's inheritance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Family: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthur's inheritance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Girls: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthur's inheritance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mater: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthur's inheritance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

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