Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Big lake is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you.... ELLY (_calmer_) He’s dead. He cain’t talk now. BUTCH Sh—! I heerd sump’n!
Big lake
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Big lake is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
BUTCH
They
got
Jim’s
word,
I
tell
you....
ELLY
(_calmer_)
He’s
dead.
He
cain’t
talk
now.
BUTCH
Sh—!
I
heerd
sump’n!
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Big lake
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Big lake is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
BUTCH
They
got
Jim’s
word,
I
tell
you....
Line 2
ELLY
(_calmer_)
He’s
dead.
Line 3
He
cain’t
talk
now.
Line 4
BUTCH
Sh—!
Line 5
I
heerd
sump’n!
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.
butch
noun
US /bʊtʃ/
(slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading “BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....”
calmer
adjective
US /ˈkɑːmər/
comparative of “calm” — not agitated; without losing self-possession
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “ELLY (_calmer_) He’s dead.”
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....”
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading “He cain’t talk now.”
express in words
From this reading “BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading “BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....”
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.
All words in this reading · 19
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.
BUTCHnounUS /bʊtʃ/
(slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
cain't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He cain’t talk now.
calmeradjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmər/
comparative of “calm” — not agitated; without losing self-possession
From this reading ELLY (_calmer_) He’s dead.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading ELLY (_calmer_) He’s dead.
ELLY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELLY (_calmer_) He’s dead.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He cain’t talk now.
He's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELLY (_calmer_) He’s dead.
heerd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heerd sump’n!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
Jim's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He cain’t talk now.
Sh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BUTCH Sh—!
sump'n
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heerd sump’n!
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading He cain’t talk now.
express in words
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading BUTCH They got Jim’s word, I tell you....
Chapter 2 of Big lake by Lynn Riggs holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Big lake contain?
Chapter 2 holds 398 sentences of Big lake, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Big lake by Lynn Riggs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Big lake?
Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Big lake
Common questions about reading Big lake by Lynn Riggs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Big lake?
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Big lake is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Big lake take to read?
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Big lake section by section
How to work through Big lake section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Vocabulary met early in Big lake
Words and structures a reader meets early in Big lake, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Chapter 1
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- Chapter 2
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