Chapter 2 of Birthright is here in full — 486 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Birthright is here in full — 486 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in. "And it's not a matter of immunity. I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out." He sipped at his own cup. "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
Chapter 2 of Birthright is here in full — 486 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/97 · 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.
large apple with a red skin
From this reading “"No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “He sipped at his own cup.”
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading “"No, the secret of their success is the dancing."”
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading “I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."”
(of e.g. fabric design) adorned with patterns
From this reading “I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."”
the state of not being susceptible
From this reading “"And it's not a matter of immunity.”
inflected form of “sip” — drink in sips
From this reading “He sipped at his own cup.”
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading “I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."”
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.
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 "And it's not a matter of immunity.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And it's not a matter of immunity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He sipped at his own cup.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
lacking funds
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
large apple with a red skin
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading He sipped at his own cup.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
in a dishonorable manner or to a dishonorable degree
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
(of e.g. fabric design) adorned with patterns
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sipped at his own cup.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sipped at his own cup.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
the state of not being susceptible
From this reading "And it's not a matter of immunity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And it's not a matter of immunity.
conformity or harmony
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "And it's not a matter of immunity.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "And it's not a matter of immunity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "And it's not a matter of immunity.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He sipped at his own cup.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
inflected form of “sip” — drink in sips
From this reading He sipped at his own cup.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "No, the secret of their success is the dancing."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, they're quite human," Cortland broke in.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
in the company of; together with
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading I wondered about it for a long time--and got quite disgracefully drunk a couple of times, keeping up with them, before I figured it out."
Chapter 2 of Birthright by April Smith holds 486 sentences, grouped into 98 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 486 sentences of Birthright, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Birthright by April Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 486 sentences, grouped into 98 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 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 98 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 Birthright by April Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1462 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59329 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59329, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 121 minutes of reading across 293 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Birthright section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Birthright 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 Birthright, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
