Chapter 2 of Brainchild is here in full — 501 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Brainchild is here in full — 501 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Yeah, sure," the boy said warily. "Only you gotta ask for it in advance. I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it. And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...." "Why?"
Chapter 2 of Brainchild is here in full — 501 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/100 · 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.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading “"Only you gotta ask for it in advance.”
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading “I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.”
any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading “I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.”
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading “And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."”
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.”
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading “And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."”
in a wary manner
From this reading “"Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.”
not only so, but
From this reading “"Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.”
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.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.
divisible by two
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
and nothing more
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading I mean, it's Rocket property, and you gotta sign for it.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
the act of using
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
in a wary manner
From this reading "Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading And even then, if Shock wants to use it--well...."
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why?"
not only so, but
From this reading "Yeah, sure," the boy said warily.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Only you gotta ask for it in advance.
Chapter 2 of Brainchild by Henry Slesar holds 501 sentences, grouped into 101 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 501 sentences of Brainchild, unabridged, divided into 101 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Brainchild by Henry Slesar exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 501 sentences, grouped into 101 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 101 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 101 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 Brainchild by Henry Slesar on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Brainchild section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Brainchild 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 Brainchild, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
