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Nero
Nero

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Nero is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Nero
Context Illustration Reading 1/91 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NERO.
[_Smiling._] The stars have lied.
_Enter_ BURRUS BURRUS.
The pass-word, sir, to-night?
NERO.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Nero

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Nero is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NERO.
/ˈnɪroʊ/
Line 2
[_Smiling._] The stars have lied.
/ˈsmaɪlɪŋ ðə stɑːrz hæv laɪd/
Line 3
_Enter_ BURRUS BURRUS.
Line 4
The pass-word, sir, to-night?
Line 5
NERO.
/ˈnɪroʊ/

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.

Enter verb US /ˈentər/

to come or go into

have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “[_Smiling._] The stars have lied.”

lied noun US /laɪd/

a German art song of the 19th century for voice and piano

From this reading “[_Smiling._] The stars have lied.”

nero noun US /ˈnɪroʊ/

Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)

From this reading “NERO.”

sir noun US /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading “The pass-word, sir, to-night?”

Smiling noun US /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

stars noun US /stɑːrz/

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading “[_Smiling._] The stars have lied.”

All words in this reading · 11

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.

BURRUS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Enter_ BURRUS BURRUS.

EnterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading _Enter_ BURRUS BURRUS.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading [_Smiling._] The stars have lied.

liednounUS /laɪd/

a German art song of the 19th century for voice and piano

From this reading [_Smiling._] The stars have lied.

NEROnounUS /ˈnɪroʊ/

Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)

From this reading NERO.

pass-word

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The pass-word, sir, to-night?

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading The pass-word, sir, to-night?

SmilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading [_Smiling._] The stars have lied.

starsnounUS /stɑːrz/

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading [_Smiling._] The stars have lied.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [_Smiling._] The stars have lied.

to-night

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The pass-word, sir, to-night?

Chapter 2 of Nero by Stephen Phillips holds 459 sentences, grouped into 92 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.

What does chapter 2 of Nero contain?

Chapter 2 holds 459 sentences of Nero, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Nero by Stephen Phillips exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 459 sentences, grouped into 92 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 Nero?

Work through the 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 92 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 Nero

Common questions about reading Nero by Stephen Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Nero?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Nero is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Nero take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Nero section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Nero to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Nero

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Nero, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Nero, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Nero, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.