Chapter 2 of Bound to Rise is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Bound to Rise is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk. Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers. It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton. "Set down, set down, neighbor Walton," he said. "We'll talk this thing over.
Chapter 2 of Bound to Rise is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.”
past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading “It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.”
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading “There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.”
a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading “"Set down, set down, neighbor Walton," he said.”
out of fashion
From this reading “There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.”
young nobleman attendant on a knight
From this reading “There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.”
past form of “transact” — conduct business
From this reading “Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.”
English composer (1902-1983)
From this reading “It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.”
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 There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Set down, set down, neighbor Walton," he said.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.
past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
and nothing more
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
a form of address for a man
From this reading It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.
a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading "Set down, set down, neighbor Walton," he said.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
out of fashion
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
above and across; more than
From this reading "We'll talk this thing over.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Set down, set down, neighbor Walton," he said.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Set down, set down, neighbor Walton," he said.
young nobleman attendant on a knight
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "We'll talk this thing over.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
a special situation
From this reading "We'll talk this thing over.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.
past form of “transact” — conduct business
From this reading Here it was that he transacted his business, and in the desk he kept his papers.
English composer (1902-1983)
From this reading It was into this room that he introduced Mr. Walton.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'll talk this thing over.
in or at the place that
From this reading There was a little room just off the kitchen, where the squire had an old-fashioned desk.
Chapter 2 of Bound to Rise by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 132 sentences of Bound to Rise, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Bound to Rise by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 Bound to Rise by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4061 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5977 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5977, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 338 minutes of reading across 813 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bound to Rise section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Bound to Rise 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 Bound to Rise, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
