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Freaks of Fortune
Freaks of Fortune

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Freaks of Fortune is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Freaks of Fortune
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FIRE.
Levi entered the house.
Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.
Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.
"Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Freaks of Fortune

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Freaks of Fortune is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FIRE.
/ˈfaɪər/
Line 2
Levi entered the house.
/ˈliːvaɪ ˈentərd ðə haʊs/
Line 3
Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.
Line 4
Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.
Line 5
"Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

Learner Dictionary

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.

baking noun US /ˈbeɪkɪŋ/

making bread or cake or pastry etc.

From this reading “Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.”

batch noun US /bætʃ/

all the loaves of bread baked at the same time

From this reading “Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.”

cheaper adjective US /ˈtʃiːpər/

comparative of “cheap” — relatively low in price or charging low prices

From this reading “Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.”

garret noun US /ˈɡerɪt/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading “"Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.”

Levi noun US /ˈliːvaɪ/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel

From this reading “Levi entered the house.”

staple noun US /ˈsteɪpəl/

(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant

From this reading “Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.”

vicinity noun US /vəˈsɪnəti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading “Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.”

weekly noun US /ˈwiːkli/

a periodical that is published every week (or 52 issues per year)

From this reading “Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

articlenounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəl/

nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

bakingnounUS /ˈbeɪkɪŋ/

making bread or cake or pastry etc.

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

batchnounUS /bætʃ/

all the loaves of bread baked at the same time

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

breadnounUS /bred/

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

brownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

cheaperadjectiveUS /ˈtʃiːpər/

comparative of “cheap” — relatively low in price or charging low prices

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Levi entered the house.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

FIREverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading FIRE.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

foodnounUS /fuːd/

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

garretnounUS /ˈɡerɪt/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Levi entered the house.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

LevinounUS /ˈliːvaɪ/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel

From this reading Levi entered the house.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

Nathan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

saw-mill

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

staplenounUS /ˈsteɪpəl/

(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

Susan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Levi entered the house.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

vicinitynounUS /vəˈsɪnəti/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Uncle Nathan was not at home, but he was probably somewhere in the vicinity.

weeklynounUS /ˈwiːkli/

a periodical that is published every week (or 52 issues per year)

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Aunt Susan was in the kitchen baking her weekly batch of brown bread, the staple article of food in the family, because it was cheaper than white bread.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading "Aunt, I want to go up in the garret and get that little saw-mill I made four or five years ago," said Levi.

Chapter 2 of Freaks of Fortune by Oliver Optic holds 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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.

What does chapter 2 of Freaks of Fortune contain?

Chapter 2 holds 113 sentences of Freaks of Fortune, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Freaks of Fortune by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Freaks of Fortune?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Freaks of Fortune

Common questions about reading Freaks of Fortune by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Freaks of Fortune?

Yes. All 3727 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24631 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Freaks of Fortune is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24631, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Freaks of Fortune take to read?

About 310 minutes of reading across 746 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Freaks of Fortune section by section

How to work through Freaks of Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Freaks of Fortune to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Freaks of Fortune

Words and structures a reader meets early in Freaks of Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Round
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freaks of Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freaks of Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freaks of Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freaks of Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.