Chapter 2 of Brain Twister is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Brain Twister is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Dr. O'Connor shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths." "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said. "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
Chapter 2 of Brain Twister is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
in actual fact
From this reading “We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."”
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading “"But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.”
a police investigation to determine the perpetrator
From this reading “We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."”
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading “We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."”
United States writer (1925-1964)
From this reading “Dr. O'Connor shook his head.”
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."”
United States inventor and manufacturer (1846-1914)
From this reading “We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."”
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."”
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 We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
in actual fact
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "No, I'm afraid not.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.
a police investigation to determine the perpetrator
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. O'Connor shook his head.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Dr. O'Connor shook his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dr. O'Connor shook his head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, I'm afraid not.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
a form of address for a man
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
not any; not one
From this reading "No, I'm afraid not.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "No, I'm afraid not.
United States writer (1925-1964)
From this reading Dr. O'Connor shook his head.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
precisely, exactly
From this reading "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Dr. O'Connor shook his head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "We can detect the fact that a man's mind is being read."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
United States inventor and manufacturer (1846-1914)
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
but in spite of that
From this reading We've worked hard on that problem at Westinghouse, Mr. Burris, but we haven't yet been able to find a method of actually detecting telepaths."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But you can detect--" "That's right," Dr. O'Connor said.
Chapter 2 of Brain Twister by Randall Garrett holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 398 sentences of Brain Twister, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Brain Twister by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Brain Twister by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4106 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22332 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22332, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 342 minutes of reading across 822 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Brain Twister section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Brain Twister 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 Brain Twister, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
