Chapter 2 of Dig Here! is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Dig Here! is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence. “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily. A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words. “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’? This here’s private property.”
Chapter 2 of Dig Here! is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
an experience that appalls
From this reading “It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.”
plural of “bang” — a vigorous blow
From this reading ““I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.”
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading “A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.”
flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
From this reading “A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.”
past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading “A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.”
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading ““Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?”
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading ““I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.”
smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
From this reading “It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.”
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.
movable property (as distinguished from real estate)
In this reading “This here’s private property.””
In this reading “A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.”
In this reading “A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.”
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 A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
an experience that appalls
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
plural of “bang” — a vigorous blow
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
lacking funds
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This here’s private property.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
not any; not one
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
in the near future
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading This here’s private property.”
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading This here’s private property.”
on the contrary
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This here’s private property.”
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Eve’s velvety voice that broke the rather appalling silence.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ain’t you seen the sign on the post?” he snapped, “where’t says ‘No trespassin’’?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
the words that are spoken
From this reading A sort of cackling gurgle issued from the man’s throat, which presently formed itself into words.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I’m afraid we startled you, Mr. Bangs,” she said easily.
Chapter 2 of Dig Here! by Gladys Allen holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 427 sentences of Dig Here!, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Dig Here! by Gladys Allen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Dig Here! by Gladys Allen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4302 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46978 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46978, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 358 minutes of reading across 861 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Dig Here! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Dig Here! 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 Dig Here!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
