Chapter 2 of Over the Plum Pudding is here in full — 472 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Over the Plum Pudding is here in full — 472 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired. Parley jumped as if stung. "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair. "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you? A pretty fix you've got me into."
Chapter 2 of Over the Plum Pudding is here in full — 472 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/94 · 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.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “A pretty fix you've got me into."”
showing a brooding ill humor
From this reading “"You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.”
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading “"Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?”
a negotiation between enemies
From this reading “Parley jumped as if stung.”
past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “"It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.”
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading “Parley jumped as if stung.”
clearly evident to the mind
From this reading “"It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.”
the student with the best grades who usually delivers the valedictory address at commencement
From this reading “"You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.”
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 “"Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?”
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 "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Parley jumped as if stung.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading A pretty fix you've got me into."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
showing a brooding ill humor
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading A pretty fix you've got me into."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Parley jumped as if stung.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A pretty fix you've got me into."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Parley jumped as if stung.
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A pretty fix you've got me into."
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
a negotiation between enemies
From this reading Parley jumped as if stung.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading A pretty fix you've got me into."
past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Parley jumped as if stung.
carry out
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
clearly evident to the mind
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
the student with the best grades who usually delivers the valedictory address at commencement
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "It wasn't," said the unmistakable voice of Watkins, from the chair, which had been repaired.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Next time you have a Christmas gift for mankind, take it and burn it, will you?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're a gay old valedictorian, you are!" he cried, glowering at the chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pretty fix you've got me into."
Chapter 2 of Over the Plum Pudding by John Kendrick Bangs holds 472 sentences, grouped into 95 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 472 sentences of Over the Plum Pudding, unabridged, divided into 95 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Over the Plum Pudding by John Kendrick Bangs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 472 sentences, grouped into 95 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 95 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 95 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 Over the Plum Pudding by John Kendrick Bangs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2331 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34553 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34553, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 194 minutes of reading across 467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Over the Plum Pudding section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Over the Plum Pudding 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 Over the Plum Pudding, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
