Chapter 2 of Birds of Prey is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Birds of Prey is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. AND MRS. HALLIDAY. Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course. They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
Chapter 2 of Birds of Prey is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
past form of “account” — be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
marked by refinement in taste and manners
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
plural of “londoner” — a native or resident of London
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
of or associated with a province
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading “They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.”
plural of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading “Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.”
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.
past form of “account” — be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AND MRS.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.
marked by refinement in taste and manners
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HALLIDAY.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.
plural of “londoner” — a native or resident of London
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
in a hideous manner
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading AND MRS.
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
in no manner
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
of or associated with a province
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
Identical; not different.
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
plural of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading Mr. Sheldon's visitors arrived in due course.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were provincial people of the middle class, accounted monstrously genteel in their own neighbourhood, but in nowise resembling Londoners of the same rank.
Chapter 2 of Birds of Prey by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon holds 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 195 sentences of Birds of Prey, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Birds of Prey by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 Birds of Prey by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6938 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9362 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9362, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 578 minutes of reading across 1388 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Birds of Prey section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Birds of Prey 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 Birds of Prey, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
