Chapter 2 of Can Such Things Be? is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Can Such Things Be? is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I hear nothing,” I replied. “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead. I said: “Nothing is there. Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.” He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
Chapter 2 of Can Such Things Be? is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
provided with artificial light
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
not in physical motion
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading ““But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.”
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
incapable of or resistant to bending
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel
From this reading “He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.”
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.
at or in the front
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
without deviation
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “I hear nothing,” I replied.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I hear nothing,” I replied.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
provided with artificial light
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I said: “Nothing is there.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
not in physical motion
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “I hear nothing,” I replied.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “I hear nothing,” I replied.
incapable of or resistant to bending
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
having a supporting base
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “But see—see!” he said, pointing along the road, directly ahead.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I said: “Nothing is there.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had released my arm and was standing rigid and motionless in the center of the illuminated roadway, staring like one bereft of sense.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Come, father, let us go in—you are ill.”
Chapter 2 of Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce holds 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 431 sentences of Can Such Things Be?, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4366 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4366, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 246 minutes of reading across 591 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Can Such Things Be? section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Can Such Things Be? 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 Can Such Things Be?, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
