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Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work
Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MR.
BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.
So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.
This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.
With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.
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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.

Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MR.
/ˈmɪstər/
Line 2
BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.
Line 3
So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.
/soʊ əˈbʌndənt ɪz hɪz vaɪˈtæləti ðæt les ˈfɔːrsfəl ˈneɪtʃərz rəˈsiːv frʌm hɪm æn ˈækses ʌv ˈenərdʒi/
Line 4
This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.
Line 5
With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

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.

abundant adjective US /əˈbʌndənt/

present in great quantity

From this reading “So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.”

access noun US /ˈækses/

the right to enter

From this reading “So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.”

breadth noun US /bredθ/

the capacity to understand a broad range of topics

From this reading “This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.”

dominates verb US /ˈdɑːməneɪts/

third-person singular of “dominate” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading “BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.”

forceful adjective US /ˈfɔːrsfəl/

characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical)

From this reading “So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.”

solidity noun US /səˈlɪdəti/

the consistency of a solid

From this reading “This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.”

stature noun US /ˈstætʃər/

high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement

From this reading “BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.”

vitality noun US /vaɪˈtæləti/

an energetic style

From this reading “So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

abundantadjectiveUS /əˈbʌndənt/

present in great quantity

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

accessnounUS /ˈækses/

the right to enter

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

appearsverbUS /əˈpɪrz/

third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

BELLOCnoun

English author (born in France) remembered especially for his verse for children (1870-1953)

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

breadthnounUS /bredθ/

the capacity to understand a broad range of topics

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

buildverbUS /bɪld/

make by combining materials and parts

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

dominatesverbUS /ˈdɑːməneɪts/

third-person singular of “dominate” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

energynounUS /ˈenərdʒi/

(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/

a deliberate act of omission

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

forcefuladjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrsfəl/

characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical)

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

MANnounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

massiveadjectiveUS /ˈmæsɪv/

imposing in size or bulk or solidity

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

naturesnounUS /ˈneɪtʃərz/

plural of “nature” — the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/

get something; come into possession of

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

ShortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

soliditynounUS /səˈlɪdəti/

the consistency of a solid

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

staturenounUS /ˈstætʃər/

high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

stoutadjectiveUS /staʊt/

dependable

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

vigournoun

forceful exertion

From this reading This vigour appears, in his person, in the massive breadth of his shoulders and the solidity of his neck.

virtuenounUS /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/

Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

vitalitynounUS /vaɪˈtæləti/

an energetic style

From this reading So abundant is his vitality, that less forceful natures receive from him an access of energy.

well-proportionedadjective

of pleasing proportions

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With the exception of his marked breadth, he is well-proportioned in build, though somewhat stout.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading BELLOC THE MAN Short of stature, he yet dominates those in the room by virtue of the force within him.

Chapter 2 of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work by C. Creighton Mandell holds 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work contain?

Chapter 2 holds 96 sentences of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work by C. Creighton Mandell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work

Common questions about reading Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work by C. Creighton Mandell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work?

Yes. All 1943 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27585 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27585, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 161 minutes of reading across 389 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work

Words and structures a reader meets early in Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Works
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hilaire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Belloc
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Methuen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.