Chapter 2 of Moral Equivalent is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Moral Equivalent is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Do we really need spies?" "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained. "All the books agree on this. Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant. Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
Chapter 2 of Moral Equivalent is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
in an absurd manner or to an absurd degree
From this reading “Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.”
for a limitless time
From this reading “Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.”
status established in order of importance or urgency
From this reading “Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.”
the act or process of producing something
From this reading “Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.”
a deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which equipment is damaged
From this reading “Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.”
plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
From this reading “"Do we really need spies?"”
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading “Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.”
carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
From this reading “Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.”
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.
cut down on; make a reduction in
In this reading “Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.”
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 "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
in an absurd manner or to an absurd degree
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
be in accord; be in agreement
From this reading "All the books agree on this.
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
(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 "All the books agree on this.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading "All the books agree on this.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do we really need spies?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
for a limitless time
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "Do we really need spies?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "All the books agree on this.
in other respects or ways
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
above and across; more than
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
status established in order of importance or urgency
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
the act or process of producing something
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading "Do we really need spies?"
a deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which equipment is damaged
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
From this reading "Do we really need spies?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "All the books agree on this.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "All the books agree on this.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
From this reading Spies keep a country alert, on its toes, eternally vigilant.
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
From this reading "They serve a vital purpose," Thrang explained.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Do we really need spies?"
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Through sabotage, they cut down on arms production, which otherwise would grow absurdly large, since it has priority over everything else.
Chapter 2 of Moral Equivalent by Kris Neville holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 426 sentences of Moral Equivalent, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Moral Equivalent by Kris Neville exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Moral Equivalent by Kris Neville on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 861 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51449 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51449, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 71 minutes of reading across 173 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Moral Equivalent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Moral Equivalent 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 Moral Equivalent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
