Chapter 2 of Cheerful—By Request is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Cheerful—By Request is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway. Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep. She felt cheated, outraged. She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations. "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
Chapter 2 of Cheerful—By Request is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “cheat” — deprive somebody of something by deceit
From this reading “She felt cheated, outraged.”
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.”
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading “"She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.”
the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)
From this reading “She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.”
angered at something unjust or wrong
From this reading “She felt cheated, outraged.”
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading “Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.”
plural of “sensation” — an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading “She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.”
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading “Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.”
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.
using the voice; not silently
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
past form of “cheat” — deprive somebody of something by deceit
From this reading She felt cheated, outraged.
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She felt cheated, outraged.
made afraid
From this reading She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)
From this reading She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
angered at something unjust or wrong
From this reading She felt cheated, outraged.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "She might have let me have it," she said aloud in the dim half light of the hallway.
plural of “sensation” — an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading She was frightened at the intensity of her own sensations.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Josie stood clutching the railing of the stairway.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading Her disappointment was so bitter that she could not weep.
Chapter 2 of Cheerful—By Request by Edna Ferber holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 410 sentences of Cheerful—By Request, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Cheerful—By Request by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Cheerful—By Request by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7249 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11395 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11395, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1450 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cheerful—By Request section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Cheerful—By Request 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 Cheerful—By Request, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
