Chapter 2 of Day of the Moron is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Day of the Moron is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified." Keating got up and went out into the middle office. As he opened the door. Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test. Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
Chapter 2 of Day of the Moron is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
plural of “chop” — the irregular motion of waves (usually caused by wind blowing in a direction opposite to the tide)
From this reading “"Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."”
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.”
in other respects or ways
From this reading “"Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."”
a signal that encodes something (e.g., picture or sound) that has been recorded
From this reading “Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.”
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading “Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.”
clearly and explicitly stated
From this reading “"Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."”
trying something to find out about it
From this reading “Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.”
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 Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he opened the door.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
plural of “chop” — the irregular motion of waves (usually caused by wind blowing in a direction opposite to the tide)
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
rid of obstructions
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading As he opened the door.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As he opened the door.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading As he opened the door.
in other respects or ways
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
a signal that encodes something (e.g., picture or sound) that has been recorded
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
a person, without saying who
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
clearly and explicitly stated
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
trying something to find out about it
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
except if; if not
From this reading "Uh-huh; Li'l Abner Melroy; po'k chops unless otherwise specified."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Keating got up and went out into the middle office.
at the time that
From this reading Half an hour later, when the food arrived, they spread their table on a relatively clear desk in the middle office.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Melroy could hear a recording of somebody being given a word-association test.
Chapter 2 of Day of the Moron by H. Beam Piper holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 398 sentences of Day of the Moron, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Day of the Moron by H. Beam Piper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Day of the Moron by H. Beam Piper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 804 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18949 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18949, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 67 minutes of reading across 161 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Day of the Moron section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Day of the Moron 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 Day of the Moron, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
