Chapter 2 of On the Firing Line is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of On the Firing Line is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Wherefore?" Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke. "To take account of stock." "What's the use?" "To find out what we need, of course."
Chapter 2 of On the Firing Line is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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 record or narrative description of past events
From this reading “"To take account of stock."”
Englishman and Cavalier poet whose lyric poetry was favored by Charles I (1595-1639)
From this reading “Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.”
atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
From this reading “Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.”
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading “Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.”
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading “Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.”
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading “Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.”
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading “"To take account of stock."”
an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”
From this reading “"Wherefore?"”
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 Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading "To take account of stock."
Englishman and Cavalier poet whose lyric poetry was favored by Charles I (1595-1639)
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "To find out what we need, of course."
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "To find out what we need, of course."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
in a languid and lethargic manner
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "To find out what we need, of course."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "To find out what we need, of course."
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading "To take account of stock."
carry out
From this reading "To take account of stock."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Carew queried languidly from the midst of a haze of smoke.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "To take account of stock."
the act of using
From this reading "What's the use?"
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "To find out what we need, of course."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "To find out what we need, of course."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the use?"
an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”
From this reading "Wherefore?"
Chapter 2 of On the Firing Line by Anna Chapin Ray holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 414 sentences of On the Firing Line, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of On the Firing Line by Anna Chapin Ray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 On the Firing Line by Anna Chapin Ray on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4556 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3605 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 379 minutes of reading across 912 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On the Firing Line section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of On the Firing Line 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 On the Firing Line, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
