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George Silverman's Explanation
George Silverman's Explanation

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of George Silverman's Explanation is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for George Silverman's Explanation
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
(‘Just his way.
Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)
And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’
(‘Not they.
Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

George Silverman's Explanation

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of George Silverman's Explanation is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
(‘Just his way.
Line 2
Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)
Line 3
And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’
Line 4
(‘Not they.
Line 5
Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

All words in this reading · 26

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.

a

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

And

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

angels

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

Are

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

bit

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

blackguard

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

From this reading Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)

Brother

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

From this reading Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)

confidence

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

Crafty

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

From this reading Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)

from

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

From this reading Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)

Gimblet

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

From this reading Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)

greatest

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

his

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

From this reading (‘Just his way.

is

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

it

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

Just

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

From this reading (‘Just his way.

learned

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

Not

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

From this reading (‘Not they.

old

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

From this reading Crafty old blackguard!’ from Brother Gimblet.)

on

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

question

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

the

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

they

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

From this reading (‘Not they.

this

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

From this reading ‘And the question is this, Are the angels learned?’

way

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

From this reading (‘Just his way.

with

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

From this reading Not a bit on it!’ from Brother Gimblet, with the greatest confidence.)

Chapter 2 of George Silverman's Explanation by Charles Dickens holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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.

What does chapter 2 of George Silverman's Explanation contain?

Chapter 2 holds 168 sentences of George Silverman's Explanation, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of George Silverman's Explanation by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 George Silverman's Explanation?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 George Silverman's Explanation

Common questions about reading George Silverman's Explanation by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of George Silverman's Explanation?

Yes. All 526 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #810 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of George Silverman's Explanation is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #810, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does George Silverman's Explanation take to read?

About 43 minutes of reading across 106 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read George Silverman's Explanation section by section

How to work through George Silverman's Explanation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of George Silverman's Explanation 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 George Silverman's Explanation

Words and structures a reader meets early in George Silverman's Explanation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sitting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of George Silverman's Explanation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of George Silverman's Explanation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Those
A word that appears in the opening chapter of George Silverman's Explanation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Words
A word that appears in the opening chapter of George Silverman's Explanation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.