Chapter 2 of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
7. Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole. His load was now heavier than that of his little brother. 8. Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
Chapter 2 of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading “Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.”
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading “His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.”
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading “Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.”
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading “His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.”
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading “His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.”
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading “Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.”
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading “Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.”
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading “Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 7.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 8.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right.
Chapter 2 of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 419 sentences of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1733 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14668 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14668, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 144 minutes of reading across 347 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader 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 McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
