Chapter 2 of Children of No Man's Land is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Children of No Man's Land is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference. Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak. Presently Richard was summoned. “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards. “Lothar?”
Chapter 2 of Children of No Man's Land is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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 “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading “I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.”
a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)
From this reading “I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.”
a young woman making her debut into society
From this reading ““Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.”
past form of “envelop” — enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading “Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.”
German bacteriologist who isolated the anthrax bacillus and the tubercle bacillus and the cholera bacillus (1843-1910)
From this reading “I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.”
softly bright or radiant
From this reading “Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.”
in a composed and unconcerned manner
From this reading ““Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.”
inflected form of “testify” — give testimony in a court of law
From this reading “Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.”
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.
In this reading “I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.”
In this reading “Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.”
In this reading “I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.”
In this reading “Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.”
be restored
In this reading “I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
past form of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
a young woman making her debut into society
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
past form of “envelop” — enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
German bacteriologist who isolated the anthrax bacillus and the tubercle bacillus and the cholera bacillus (1843-1910)
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
softly bright or radiant
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
in a composed and unconcerned manner
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
in the near future
From this reading Presently Richard was summoned.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Presently Richard was summoned.
an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading Presently Richard was summoned.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
inflected form of “testify” — give testimony in a court of law
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
unaccustomed or unusual
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Row about Lothar von Relling,” he explained nonchalantly to Deb afterwards.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Presently Richard was summoned.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Her luminous eyes, as she went, testified to a hope that the mystery enveloped a fur cloak.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading I A few days later, Felix Koch came back at an unwonted hour, between dinner and supper, and beckoned his wife to a private conference.
Chapter 2 of Children of No Man's Land by G. B. (Gladys Bronwyn) Stern holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 216 sentences of Children of No Man's Land, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Children of No Man's Land by G. B. (Gladys Bronwyn) Stern exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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.
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Yes. All 8072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74256 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #74256, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Children of No Man's Land section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Children of No Man's Land 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 Children of No Man's Land, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
