Chapter 2 of Martyr is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Martyr is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Schirmer coughed into his hand. "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this. He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was. He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer. "Wait a minute!
Chapter 2 of Martyr is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading “He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.”
lacking funds
From this reading “He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.”
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading “He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.”
past form of “cough” — exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion
From this reading “Schirmer coughed into his hand.”
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading “"Wait a minute!”
required or under orders
From this reading “He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.”
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading “He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.”
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading “He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.”
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 "Wait a minute!
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
lacking funds
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
past form of “cough” — exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion
From this reading Schirmer coughed into his hand.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Schirmer coughed into his hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Schirmer coughed into his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Schirmer coughed into his hand.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading "Wait a minute!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Schirmer coughed into his hand.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
required or under orders
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
express in words
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Wait a minute!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading He was in Washington this afternoon--" "Of course he was.
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading He was supposed to go to the Center--" Dan broke off short, whirling on Schirmer.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why--Dan, I don't quite know how to tell you this.
Chapter 2 of Martyr by Alan Edward Nourse holds 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 445 sentences of Martyr, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Martyr by Alan Edward Nourse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 Martyr by Alan Edward Nourse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1782 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31236 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31236, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 148 minutes of reading across 357 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Martyr section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Martyr 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 Martyr, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
