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Isles of the sea
Isles of the sea

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Isles of the sea is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Isles of the sea
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LETTER FROM LONDON.
I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.
I said I had no near friends,” explained Tom.
Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”
I should say that would depend upon circumstances.
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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.

Isles of the sea

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Isles of the sea is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LETTER FROM LONDON.
/ðə ˈletər frʌm ˈlʌndən/
Line 2
I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.
Line 3
I said I had no near friends,” explained Tom.
/aɪ sed aɪ hæd noʊ nɪr frendz ɪkˈspleɪnd tɑːm/
Line 4
Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”
Line 5
I should say that would depend upon circumstances.
/aɪ ʃʊd seɪ ðæt wʊd dɪˈpend əˈpɑːn ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

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.

circumstances noun US /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading ““I should say that would depend upon circumstances.”

depend verb US /dɪˈpend/

be contingent upon (something that is elided)

From this reading ““I should say that would depend upon circumstances.”

die verb US /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading ““I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.”

especially adverb US /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading ““Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?””

explained verb US /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading ““I said I had no near friends,” explained Tom.”

neglected adjective US /nəˈɡlektəd/

disregarded

From this reading ““I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.”

O'Hara noun US /oʊˈherə/

United States writer (1905-1970)

sick adjective US /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading ““I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.”

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.

depend upon verb + particle

be contingent on

In this reading ““I should say that would depend upon circumstances.”

All words in this reading · 42

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

dependverbUS /dɪˈpend/

be contingent upon (something that is elided)

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

despatchverb

send away towards a designated goal

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

Don't

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

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “I said I had no near friends,” explained Tom.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

friendsnounUS /frendz/

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

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE LETTER FROM LONDON.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

LETTERnounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading THE LETTER FROM LONDON.

LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading THE LETTER FROM LONDON.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading “I said I had no near friends,” explained Tom.

neglectedadjectiveUS /nəˈɡlektəd/

disregarded

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

O'HaranounUS /oʊˈherə/

United States writer (1905-1970)

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

others

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

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

Speers

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

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM LONDON.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

unclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

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

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “I should say that would depend upon circumstances.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I thought you said you had no friends to die or be sick,” said O’Hara, when Tom Speers had read the neglected despatch.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Don’t you call your uncle a near friend, especially if you have no others?”

Chapter 2 of Isles of the sea by Oliver Optic holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Isles of the sea contain?

Chapter 2 holds 209 sentences of Isles of the sea, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Isles of the sea by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Isles of the sea?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 Isles of the sea

Common questions about reading Isles of the sea by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Isles of the sea?

Yes. All 4955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74943 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Isles of the sea is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74943, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Isles of the sea take to read?

About 412 minutes of reading across 991 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Isles of the sea section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Isles of the sea 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 Isles of the sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in Isles of the sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Isles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Homeward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Isles of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.