Opportunities

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Opportunities is here in full — 349 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Susan Warner • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Matilda's spirits were not quite used up by the morning's experience, for after dinner she put on her bonnet, and took her Bible, and set off on an expedition, with out asking leave of anybody.

She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

"If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

"There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

She got there without any difficulty.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter II Reading 1/69

Opportunities

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Opportunities is here in full — 349 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Matilda's spirits were not quite used up by the morning's experience, for after dinner she put on her bonnet, and took her Bible, and set off on an expedition, with out asking leave of anybody.

Line 2

She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

/ʃiː wɑːz bent əˈpɑːn ˈɡetɪŋ tuː ˈlaɪlæk leɪn/

Line 3

"If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

Line 4

"There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

/ðer ɪz noʊ ˈtelɪŋ wʌt ænt ˈkændi wɪl duː/

Line 5

She got there without any difficulty.

/ʃiː ɡɑːt ðer wɪˈθaʊt ˈeni ˈdɪfəkəlti/

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.

asking noun US /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

From this reading “Matilda's spirits were not quite used up by the morning's experience, for after dinner she put on her bonnet, and took her Bible, and set off on an expedition, with out asking leave of anybody.”

Bible noun US /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

bonnet noun US /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

Candy noun US /ˈkændi/

a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts

From this reading “"There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."”

expedition noun US /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

Lane noun US /leɪn/

a narrow way or road

From this reading “She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.”

Lilac noun US /ˈlaɪlæk/

any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers

From this reading “She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.”

morning's noun US /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/

possessive form of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

after dinner preposition + noun

In this reading “Matilda's spirits were not quite used up by the morning's experience, for after dinner she put on her bonnet, and took her Bible, and set off on an expedition, with out asking leave of anybody.”

set off verb + particle

put in motion or move to act

any difficulty adjective + noun

In this reading “She got there without any difficulty.”

put on verb + particle

put clothing on one's body

All words in this reading · 62

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Matilda's spirits were not quite used up by the morning's experience, for after dinner she put on her bonnet, and took her Bible, and set off on an expedition, with out asking leave of anybody.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading She got there without any difficulty.

anybodypronounUS /ˈenibədi/

any person at all

askingnounUS /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

bentnounUS /bent/

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

BiblenounUS /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

bonnetnounUS /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

CandynounUS /ˈkændi/

a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading She got there without any difficulty.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

don't

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

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

expeditionnounUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading She got there without any difficulty.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

LanenounUS /leɪn/

a narrow way or road

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

LilacnounUS /ˈlaɪlæk/

any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

Matilda's

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

morning'snounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/

possessive form of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

spiritsnounUS /ˈspɪrɪts/

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

tellingadjectiveUS /ˈtelɪŋ/

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

to-day

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

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was bent upon getting to Lilac Lane.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "If I do not get there to-day, I don't know when I shall," she said to herself.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "There is no telling what Aunt Candy will do."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading She got there without any difficulty.

Chapter 2 of Opportunities by Susan Warner holds 349 sentences, grouped into 70 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 Opportunities contain?

Chapter 2 holds 349 sentences of Opportunities, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Opportunities by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 349 sentences, grouped into 70 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 Opportunities?

Work through the 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 70 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 Opportunities

Common questions about reading Opportunities by Susan Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Opportunities?

Yes. All 5036 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30147 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Opportunities is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30147, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Opportunities take to read?

About 419 minutes of reading across 1008 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Opportunities section by section

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

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Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Opportunities

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

Morning: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opportunities; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sunday: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opportunities; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Matilda: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opportunities; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Baptized: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opportunities; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

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