Chapter 2 of Literary Lapses is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Literary Lapses is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Six months had passed. It was now mid-winter. And still the girl lived. Her vitality appeared inexhaustible. She got up earlier and earlier.
Chapter 2 of Literary Lapses is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/3 · 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.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.”
earlier in time; previously
From this reading “She got up earlier and earlier.”
that cannot be entirely consumed or used up
From this reading “Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.”
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “And still the girl lived.”
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading “Six months had passed.”
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading “Six months had passed.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading “Six months had passed.”
an energetic style
From this reading “Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And still the girl lived.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading She got up earlier and earlier.
a young female
From this reading And still the girl lived.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading She got up earlier and earlier.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Six months had passed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.
that cannot be entirely consumed or used up
From this reading Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was now mid-winter.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading And still the girl lived.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was now mid-winter.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Six months had passed.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was now mid-winter.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Six months had passed.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She got up earlier and earlier.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading Six months had passed.
not in physical motion
From this reading And still the girl lived.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And still the girl lived.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She got up earlier and earlier.
an energetic style
From this reading Her vitality appeared inexhaustible.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was now mid-winter.
Chapter 2 of Literary Lapses by Stephen Leacock holds 18 sentences, grouped into 4 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.
Chapter 2 holds 18 sentences of Literary Lapses, unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Literary Lapses by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 18 sentences, grouped into 4 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 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 4 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 Literary Lapses by Stephen Leacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 211 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6340 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6340, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 17 minutes of reading across 43 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Literary Lapses section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Literary Lapses 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 Literary Lapses, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
