Chapter 2 of Following the Equator is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Following the Equator is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment. —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar. Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept. 2. Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
Chapter 2 of Following the Equator is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
From this reading “—Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.”
a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations
From this reading “Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.”
plural of “flock” — a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading “Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.”
the capital and largest city of Hawaii; located on a large bay on the island of Oahu
From this reading “Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.”
to a high degree; extremely; in high concentration or density
From this reading “Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.”
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading “Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.”
having a well-proportioned and pleasing shape
From this reading “Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.”
possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading “—Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
have
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations
From this reading Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.
command with authority
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
plural of “flock” — a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
moving swiftly
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.
characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
the capital and largest city of Hawaii; located on a large bay on the island of Oahu
From this reading Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.
to a high degree; extremely; in high concentration or density
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
(of marriages) of a marriage between one of royal or noble birth and one of lower rank; valid but with the understanding that the rank of the inferior remains unchanged and offspring do not succeed to titles or property of the superior
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading Sailed from Honolulu.—From diary: Sept.
having a well-proportioned and pleasing shape
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
a Caucasian
From this reading Flocks of flying fish-slim, shapely, graceful, and intensely white.
possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Chapter 2 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 418 sentences of Following the Equator, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Following the Equator by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9162 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2895 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2895, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1833 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Following the Equator section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Following the Equator 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 Following the Equator, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
