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Hard Pressed
Hard Pressed

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Hard Pressed
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.
As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.
The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.
The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.
They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.
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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.

Hard Pressed

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.
/æn ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd ˈmiːtɪŋ ˈmiːnwaɪl sɜːr dʒɔːrdʒ ənd hɪz ˈdɔːtər wɜːr ˈweɪtɪŋ ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəntli fɔːr ˈkɑːpli/
Line 2
As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.
/æz ðeɪ stʊd ðə ˈfæʃənəbəl striːm ˈhɜːrid baɪ ðem/
Line 3
The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.
/ðə roʊd ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wɑːz kræmd wɪð kæbz ənd ˈbʌsɪz ənd ˈmoʊtərz fɔːr ɔːl ðə ˈθiːətərz wɜːr dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒɪŋ ðer ˈɑːdiənsəz/
Line 4
The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.
/ðə striːt wɑːz wʌn ˈsiːðɪŋ mæs wen ˈkɑːpli dʒɔɪnd hɪz frendz/
Line 5
They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.
/ðeɪ prest təˈɡeðər təˈwɔːrdz ðə ˈpeɪvmənt ənd ˈkɑːpli kʊd ˈskersli kənˈsiːl hɪz əˈnɔɪəns ðæt hɪz kɑːr wɑːz nɑːt ɪn əˈtendəns/

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.

audiences noun US /ˈɑːdiənsəz/

plural of “audience” — a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
buses noun US /ˈbʌsɪz/

plural of “bus” — a vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport

From this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cabs noun US /kæbz/

plural of “cab” — a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits

From this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Copley noun US /ˈkɑːpli/

American painter who did portraits of Paul Revere and John Hancock before fleeing to England to avoid the American Revolution (1738-1815)

From this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crammed verb US /kræmd/

inflected form of “cram” — crowd or pack to capacity

From this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discharging verb US /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “discharge” — complete or carry out

From this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
motors noun US /ˈmoʊtərz/

plural of “motor” — machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seething adjective US /ˈsiːðɪŋ/

in constant agitation

From this reading “The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

seething mass adjective + noun

In this reading “The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.”

178 times in 225,867 chapters
UNEXPECTED MEETING adjective + noun

In this reading “AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.”

393 times in 225,867 chapters
crammed with verb + particle counted as “cram with”

In this reading “The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.”

969 times in 225,867 chapters
in attendance preposition + noun

In this reading “They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.”

3,259 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
annoyancenounUS /əˈnɔɪəns/

the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attendancenounUS /əˈtendəns/

the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.)

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
audiencesnounUS /ˈɑːdiənsəz/

plural of “audience” — a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
busesnounUS /ˈbʌsɪz/

plural of “bus” — a vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cabsnounUS /kæbz/

plural of “cab” — a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concealverbUS /kənˈsiːl/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CopleynounUS /ˈkɑːpli/

American painter who did portraits of Paul Revere and John Hancock before fleeing to England to avoid the American Revolution (1738-1815)

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
crammedverbUS /kræmd/

inflected form of “cram” — crowd or pack to capacity

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dischargingverbUS /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “discharge” — complete or carry out

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fashionableadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənəbəl/

being or in accordance with current social fashions

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hurriedadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːrid/

moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
impatientlyadverbUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəntli/

with impatience; in an impatient manner

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
joinedadjectiveUS /dʒɔɪnd/

of or relating to two people who are married to each other

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MeanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MEETINGnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
motorsnounUS /ˈmoʊtərz/

plural of “motor” — machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pavementnounUS /ˈpeɪvmənt/

the paved surface of a thoroughfare

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pressedadjectiveUS /prest/

compacted by ironing

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seethingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːðɪŋ/

in constant agitation

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

Velmora curated lexicon
streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theatresnounUS /ˈθiːətərz/

plural of “theatre” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading As they stood, the fashionable stream hurried by them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading They pressed together towards the pavement, and Copley could scarcely conceal his annoyance that his car was not in attendance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UNEXPECTEDadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

not expected or anticipated

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Meanwhile, Sir George and his daughter were waiting impatiently for Copley.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The street was one seething mass when Copley joined his friends.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The road outside was crammed with cabs and 'buses and motors, for all the theatres were discharging their audiences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 Hard Pressed contain?

Chapter 2 holds 131 sentences of Hard Pressed, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 Hard Pressed?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 Hard Pressed

Common questions about reading Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Hard Pressed?

Yes. All 5056 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Hard Pressed is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33512, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Hard Pressed take to read?

About 421 minutes of reading across 1012 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Hard Pressed section by section

How to work through Hard Pressed section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Hard Pressed 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 Hard Pressed

Words and structures a reader meets early in Hard Pressed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Crimson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blind
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.