Chapter 2 of Born to Good Luck is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Born to Good Luck is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ACCUSED OF THEFT. As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store. “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place. “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums. “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
Chapter 2 of Born to Good Luck is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading ““Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.”
someone who pays for goods or services
From this reading “As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.”
prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)
From this reading “As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.”
an expression of greeting
From this reading ““Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.”
a large bottle with a narrow mouth
From this reading “As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.”
thick dark syrup produced by boiling down juice from sugar cane; especially during sugar refining
From this reading “As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.”
any new participant in some activity
From this reading ““Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.”
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading “ACCUSED OF THEFT.”
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.
In this reading ““Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.”
In this reading “As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.”
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 As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
a defendant in a criminal proceeding
From this reading ACCUSED OF THEFT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
someone who pays for goods or services
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
well in the past; former
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
someone who is a detective
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
an expression of greeting
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
a large bottle with a narrow mouth
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
a boy or man
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
thick dark syrup produced by boiling down juice from sugar cane; especially during sugar refining
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
any new participant in some activity
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ACCUSED OF THEFT.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading ACCUSED OF THEFT.
in the direction of
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading “Hello, Dick,” said the newcomer, walking toward the rear of the place.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Hello, Joe,” replied Dick, in a pleased voice, for he and Joe were chums.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As the customer departed with the jug of molasses, a lad named Joe Fletcher entered the store.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I didn’t know whether I should find you in here or not,” said Joe.
Chapter 2 of Born to Good Luck by Self-made man holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 116 sentences of Born to Good Luck, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Born to Good Luck by Self-made man exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 Born to Good Luck by Self-made man on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2060 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67448 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67448, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 171 minutes of reading across 412 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Born to Good Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Born to Good Luck 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 Born to Good Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
