Chapter 2 of Pioneer boys of the gold fields is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Pioneer boys of the gold fields is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?" It was Mark who asked himself that question. He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city. He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted. "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
Chapter 2 of Pioneer boys of the gold fields is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading “"I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.”
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading “NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"”
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading “He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.”
plural of “hornet” — large stinging paper wasp
From this reading “"I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.”
past form of “muse” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading “"I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.”
United States civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery (Alabama) and so triggered the national Civil Rights movement (born in 1913)
From this reading “He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.”
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading “"I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.”
being one more than fifteen
From this reading “"I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.”
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 “He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.”
In this reading “He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.”
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
plural of “hornet” — large stinging paper wasp
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
roused to anger
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
past form of “muse” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
information about recent and important events
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
immediately following in time or order
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
United States civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery (Alabama) and so triggered the national Civil Rights movement (born in 1913)
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
with speed
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
being one more than fifteen
From this reading "I'll bet Mr. Powers is as mad as sixteen hornets," he mused.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was sitting in one of the public parks of the city.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading He had walked rapidly for the best part of an hour and was almost exhausted.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
(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 NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
which person or people
From this reading It was Mark who asked himself that question.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA "Well, I wonder what I am to do next?"
Chapter 2 of Pioneer boys of the gold fields by Edward Stratemeyer holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 154 sentences of Pioneer boys of the gold fields, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Pioneer boys of the gold fields by Edward Stratemeyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in Pioneer boys of the gold fields, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
