Chapter 2 of Home Again, Home Again is here in full — 455 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Home Again, Home Again is here in full — 455 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Go on, lad, give it a try. It's simply marvelous, I tell you!" Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth. At the top, there was a small platform. Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
Chapter 2 of Home Again, Home Again is here in full — 455 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
breathing device consisting of a bent tube fitting into a swimmer's mouth and extending above the surface; allows swimmer to breathe while face down in the water
From this reading “Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.”
past form of “spark” — put in motion or move to act
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
a plane curve traced by a point circling about the center but at increasing distances from the center
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading “Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the top, there was a small platform.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It's simply marvelous, I tell you!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's simply marvelous, I tell you!"
a boy or man
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading It's simply marvelous, I tell you!"
hide under a false appearance
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
a wooden pin pushed or driven into a surface
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
a raised horizontal surface
From this reading At the top, there was a small platform.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
in an uncomfortably self-conscious manner
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
and nothing more
From this reading It's simply marvelous, I tell you!"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At the top, there was a small platform.
breathing device consisting of a bent tube fitting into a swimmer's mouth and extending above the surface; allows swimmer to breathe while face down in the water
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
past form of “spark” — put in motion or move to act
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
a plane curve traced by a point circling about the center but at increasing distances from the center
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
having only essential or minimal features
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
express in words
From this reading It's simply marvelous, I tell you!"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Self-consciously, he stripped, then pulled on the mask and snorkel that hung from a peg.
in or at that place or location
From this reading At the top, there was a small platform.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
the upper part of anything
From this reading At the top, there was a small platform.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading "Go on, lad, give it a try.
in an unsteady manner
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the top, there was a small platform.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Unsteadily, Chet climbed the spiral stairs leading up to the tank, clutching the handrail, chewing the gum, which fizzed and sparked in his mouth.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It's simply marvelous, I tell you!"
Chapter 2 of Home Again, Home Again by Cory Doctorow holds 455 sentences, grouped into 91 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.
Chapter 2 holds 455 sentences of Home Again, Home Again, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Home Again, Home Again by Cory Doctorow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 455 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 Home Again, Home Again by Cory Doctorow on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 887 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17138 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17138, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 73 minutes of reading across 178 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Home Again, Home Again section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Home Again, Home Again 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 Home Again, Home Again, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
