Chapter 2 of Damned If You Don't is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Damned If You Don't is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice. "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said. Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes. "May I ask where you're getting power like that?" "Sure.
Chapter 2 of Damned If You Don't is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading “"Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.”
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading “Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.”
ludicrously odd
From this reading “Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.”
in a softened tone
From this reading “"What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.”
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading “"Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.”
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading “Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.”
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading “Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.”
have a certain weight
From this reading “"What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.”
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 "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
ludicrously odd
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
ten 10s
From this reading "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.
in a softened tone
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
above and across; more than
From this reading "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Little over a hundred pounds," Bending said.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Sure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading Olcott tore his eyes away from the fantastic little box and looked into Sam Bending's eyes.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
have a certain weight
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What does it weigh?" asked Olcott, in a hushed voice.
in or at the place that
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "May I ask where you're getting power like that?"
Chapter 2 of Damned If You Don't by Randall Garrett holds 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 450 sentences of Damned If You Don't, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Damned If You Don't by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 Damned If You Don't by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1360 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24064 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24064, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 113 minutes of reading across 272 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Damned If You Don't section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Damned If You Don't 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 Damned If You Don't, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
