Chapter 2 of Black Jack is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Black Jack is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?" She looked at him as if in surprise. "Forbid Terry?" she echoed, and then smiled. Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat. Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
Chapter 2 of Black Jack is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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 “contrast” — put in opposition to show or emphasize differences
From this reading “Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.”
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading “Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.”
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading “"Forbid Terry?" she echoed, and then smiled.”
command against
From this reading “"If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"”
as a matter of instinct
From this reading “Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.”
plural of “prank” — acting like a clown or buffoon
From this reading “"If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"”
English actress (1847-1928)
From this reading “"If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"”
plural of “worry” — something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading “"If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"”
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 Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Forbid Terry?" she echoed, and then smiled.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
past form of “contrast” — put in opposition to show or emphasize differences
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading "Forbid Terry?" she echoed, and then smiled.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
command against
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
as a matter of instinct
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
plural of “prank” — acting like a clown or buffoon
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading "Forbid Terry?" she echoed, and then smiled.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading She looked at him as if in surprise.
English actress (1847-1928)
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Forbid Terry?" she echoed, and then smiled.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Decidedly this was her first tone, a soft tone that came from deep in her throat.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Instinctively Vance contrasted it with the way she had spoken to him.
plural of “worry” — something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If Terry worries you like this," suggested her brother kindly, "why don't you forbid these pranks?"
Chapter 2 of Black Jack by Max Brand holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 215 sentences of Black Jack, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Black Jack by Max Brand exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 Black Jack by Max Brand on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9925 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9925, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 510 minutes of reading across 1227 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Black Jack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Black Jack 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 Black Jack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
