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Miscellaneous Papers
Miscellaneous Papers

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Miscellaneous Papers is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!
And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.
In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.
It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.
I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Miscellaneous Papers

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Miscellaneous Papers is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!
/sʌtʃ ˈmɪstər hʊd sɜːr ɪz ðə ˈprɑːspekt bɪˈfɔːr ʌs/
Line 2
And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.
Line 3
In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.
/ɪn ˈrefərəns tuː jɔːr oʊn əˈferz sɜːr juː wɪl teɪk ˌwʌˈtevər kɔːrs meɪ siːm tuː juː moʊst ˈpruːdənt ənd ədˈvaɪzəbəl ˈæftər ðɪs ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/
Line 4
It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.
/ɪt ɪz nɑːt ə ˈwɔːrnɪŋ tuː biː ˈslaɪtɪd ðæt aɪ ˈhæpən tuː noʊ/
Line 5
I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.
/aɪ æm ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd baɪ ðə ˈdʒentəlmən huː ˈfeɪvərz ðɪs ðæt juː hæv ˈriːsəntli bɪn ˈmeɪkɪŋ sʌm ˈtʃeɪndʒəz ənd ˌɪmˈpruːvmənts ɪn jɔːr ˈmæɡəziːn ənd ɑːr ɪn pɔɪnt ʌv fækt ˈstɑːrtɪŋ əˈfreʃ/

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.

advisable adjective US /ədˈvaɪzəbəl/

worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise

From this reading “In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.”

afresh adverb US /əˈfreʃ/

again but in a new or different way

From this reading “I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.”

favours noun US /ˈfeɪvərz/

plural of “favour” — a feeling of favorable regard

From this reading “I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.”

forlorn adjective US /fərˈlɔːrn/

marked by or showing hopelessness

From this reading “And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.”

Hood noun US /hʊd/

an aggressive and violent young criminal

From this reading “Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!”

improvements noun US /ˌɪmˈpruːvmənts/

plural of “improvement” — a change for the better; progress in development

From this reading “I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.”

Magazine noun US /ˈmæɡəziːn/

a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it

From this reading “I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.”

slighted verb US /ˈslaɪtɪd/

past form of “slight” — pay no attention to, disrespect

From this reading “It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

advisableadjectiveUS /ədˈvaɪzəbəl/

worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

afreshadverbUS /əˈfreʃ/

again but in a new or different way

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

changesnounUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəz/

plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

favoursnounUS /ˈfeɪvərz/

plural of “favour” — a feeling of favorable regard

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

forlornadjectiveUS /fərˈlɔːrn/

marked by or showing hopelessness

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

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

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

giantnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

HoodnounUS /hʊd/

an aggressive and violent young criminal

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

ill-fatedadjective

marked by or promising bad fortune

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

improvementsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvmənts/

plural of “improvement” — a change for the better; progress in development

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

informedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd/

having much knowledge or education

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

MagazinenounUS /ˈmæɡəziːn/

a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

prospectnounUS /ˈprɑːspekt/

the possibility of future success

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

prudentadjectiveUS /ˈpruːdənt/

careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

recentlyadverbUS /ˈriːsəntli/

in the recent past

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

referencenounUS /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

slightedverbUS /ˈslaɪtɪd/

past form of “slight” — pay no attention to, disrespect

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

startingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtɪŋ/

(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear

From this reading I am informed by the gentleman who favours this, that you have recently been making some changes and improvements in your Magazine, and are, in point of fact, starting afresh.

SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is not a warning to be slighted: that I happen to know.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Such, Mr. Hood, sir, is the prospect before us!

warningnounUS /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/

a message informing of danger

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading In reference to your own affairs, sir, you will take whatever course may seem to you most prudent and advisable after this warning.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And unless you, and some of your friends who have influence at Court, can get up a giant as a forlorn hope, it is all over with this ill-fated land.

Chapter 2 of Miscellaneous Papers by Charles Dickens holds 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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.

What does chapter 2 of Miscellaneous Papers contain?

Chapter 2 holds 146 sentences of Miscellaneous Papers, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Miscellaneous Papers by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Miscellaneous Papers?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 Miscellaneous Papers

Common questions about reading Miscellaneous Papers by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Miscellaneous Papers?

Yes. All 789 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1435 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Miscellaneous Papers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1435, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Miscellaneous Papers take to read?

About 65 minutes of reading across 158 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Miscellaneous Papers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Miscellaneous Papers

Words and structures a reader meets early in Miscellaneous Papers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Agricultural
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Interest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chronicle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.