Chapter 2 of Brave Tom is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Brave Tom is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened. "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way! How do you know that?" "I seed him! Ain't that enough?
Chapter 2 of Brave Tom is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading “"What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “"What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!”
made afraid
From this reading “It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.”
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading “"What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!”
a small hard fruit
From this reading “"I seed him!”
a fierce or audacious person
From this reading “"What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!”
male cat
From this reading “It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.”
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading “It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ain't that enough?
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading How do you know that?"
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Ain't that enough?
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
made afraid
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I seed him!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How do you know that?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I seed him!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading How do you know that?"
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
a small hard fruit
From this reading "I seed him!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading How do you know that?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
a fierce or audacious person
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
male cat
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Tom Gordon's turn now to be frightened.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What!" he exclaimed, almost leaping from his feet; "the tiger coming this way!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading How do you know that?"
Chapter 2 of Brave Tom by Edward Sylvester Ellis holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 109 sentences of Brave Tom, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Brave Tom by Edward Sylvester Ellis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 Brave Tom by Edward Sylvester Ellis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2529 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11978 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11978, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 210 minutes of reading across 506 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Brave Tom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Brave Tom 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 Brave Tom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
