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On the Track
On the Track

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of On the Track is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for On the Track
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:
Oh, no! and oh, no!
For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised virging”.
“.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”
Which was still more satisfactory.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

On the Track

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of On the Track is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:
Line 2
Oh, no! and oh, no!
/oʊ noʊ ənd oʊ noʊ/
Line 3
For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguisedvirging”.
Line 4
“.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”
Line 5
Which was still more satisfactory.
/wɪtʃ wɑːz stɪl mɔːr ˌsætəˈsfæktri/

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.

command noun US /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading ““.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.””

delightfully adverb US /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

in a delightful manner

From this reading “He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:”

disguised adjective US /dɪsˈɡaɪzd/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading “For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.”

prompt verb US /prɑːmpt/

give an incentive for action

From this reading “He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:”

satisfactory adjective US /ˌsætəˈsfæktri/

giving satisfaction

From this reading “For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.”

sword noun US /sɔːrd/

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading ““.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.””

unconventional adjective US /ˌʌnkənˈvenʃənəl/

not conforming to accepted rules or standards

From this reading “He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:”

win verb US /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading ““.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.””

All words in this reading · 46

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.

a-w-a-a-y

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

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

Covent

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

delightfullyadverbUS /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

in a delightful manner

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

disguisedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡaɪzd/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

Gardings

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/

the state of being honored

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

I'd

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

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Which was still more satisfactory.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “Oh, no! and oh, no!

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “Oh, no! and oh, no!

promptverbUS /prɑːmpt/

give an incentive for action

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

sa-a-y

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

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

satisfactoryadjectiveUS /ˌsætəˈsfæktri/

giving satisfaction

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Which was still more satisfactory.

swordnounUS /sɔːrd/

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

unconventionaladjectiveUS /ˌʌnkənˈvenʃənəl/

not conforming to accepted rules or standards

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

virging

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

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading For the truth I must sa-a-y, I love her too well for to give her a-w-a-a-y!” which was satisfactory to the disguised “virging”.

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “.... and I'd take sword in hand, And by honour I'd win her if she would command.”

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading He was as prompt and as delightfully unconventional in his reply as the young lady in Covent Gardings:

Chapter 2 of On the Track by Henry Lawson holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 On the Track contain?

Chapter 2 holds 174 sentences of On the Track, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of On the Track by Henry Lawson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 On the Track?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 On the Track

Common questions about reading On the Track by Henry Lawson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of On the Track?

Yes. All 2385 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1231 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of On the Track is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1231, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does On the Track take to read?

About 198 minutes of reading across 477 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read On the Track section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of On the Track 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 On the Track

Words and structures a reader meets early in On the Track, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Track; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
While
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Track; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Billy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Track; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boils
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Track; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.