Chapter 2 of Our Feathered Friends is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Our Feathered Friends is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW. We are always interested in our nearest neighbors. "Who lives in the next house?" we ask. "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?" These are questions one commonly asks.
Chapter 2 of Our Feathered Friends is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “These are questions one commonly asks.”
under normal conditions
From this reading “These are questions one commonly asks.”
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading “We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.”
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “"Who lives in the next house?" we ask.”
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading “We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.”
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading “We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.”
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading “"Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"”
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading “These are questions one commonly asks.”
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.
In this reading “SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.”
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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Who lives in the next house?" we ask.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading These are questions one commonly asks.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
under normal conditions
From this reading These are questions one commonly asks.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "Who lives in the next house?" we ask.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Who lives in the next house?" we ask.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "Who lives in the next house?" we ask.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading These are questions one commonly asks.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We are always interested in our nearest neighbors.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading These are questions one commonly asks.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Who lives in the next house?" we ask.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These are questions one commonly asks.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Are they pleasant persons to know?" and "How many children are there?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading SOME PEOPLE WE LIKE TO KNOW.
which person or people
From this reading "Who lives in the next house?" we ask.
Chapter 2 of Our Feathered Friends by Elizabeth Grinnell holds 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 54 sentences of Our Feathered Friends, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Our Feathered Friends by Elizabeth Grinnell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 Our Feathered Friends by Elizabeth Grinnell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1879 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #64517, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 156 minutes of reading across 376 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Our Feathered Friends section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Our Feathered Friends 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 Our Feathered Friends, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
