Chapter 2 of Carl the Trailer is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Carl the Trailer is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CARL, THE TRAILER. At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him. “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he. “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.” “I have indeed,” said the lieutenant.
Chapter 2 of Carl the Trailer is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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 performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)
From this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
a commissioned military officer
From this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
From this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading ““I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.”
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
From this reading “CARL, THE TRAILER.”
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.
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
In this reading ““I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.”
In this reading “At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.”
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.
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CARL, THE TRAILER.
a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
set up or found
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “I have indeed,” said the lieutenant.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
a commissioned military officer
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
the force of workers available
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CARL, THE TRAILER.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
From this reading CARL, THE TRAILER.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
which person or people
From this reading At the door Lieutenant Parker found the officer who was acting as commissary of the post waiting for him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
but in spite of that
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I didn’t know but you had some men in your own company you would be glad to have along with you.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I have not picked out your men yet,” said he.
Chapter 2 of Carl the Trailer by Harry Castlemon holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 114 sentences of Carl the Trailer, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Carl the Trailer by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 Carl the Trailer by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3995 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55923 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55923, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 332 minutes of reading across 799 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Carl the Trailer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of Carl the Trailer 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 Carl the Trailer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
