Chapter 2 of Right Half Hollins is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Right Half Hollins is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick. Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil. “Depends,” he replied. “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.” “What’s the matter with Mooney’s?” demanded the other.
Chapter 2 of Right Half Hollins is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
past form of “caress” — touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
From this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
young bird especially of domestic fowl
From this reading “BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.”
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading ““Depends,” he replied.”
a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
From this reading ““If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.””
a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
From this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
From this reading “BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.”
an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products
From this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
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.
move the upper body backwards and down
In this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
In this reading “BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.”
In this reading ““If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.””
In this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
In this reading “Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
react verbally
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
past form of “caress” — touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
young bird especially of domestic fowl
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading “What’s the matter with Mooney’s?” demanded the other.
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading “Depends,” he replied.
a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Depends,” he replied.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
immediately past
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “What’s the matter with Mooney’s?” demanded the other.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s the matter with Mooney’s?” demanded the other.
not any; not one
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “What’s the matter with Mooney’s?” demanded the other.
a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
participate in games or sport
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Depends,” he replied.
an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading BERT REFUSES AN INVITATION “Want to play some pool?” asked Chick.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s the matter with Mooney’s?” demanded the other.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Bert leaned back in the chair and caressed the end of his straight nose with the rubber tip of his pencil.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “If you mean at that evil-smelling dive you dragged me into last week the answer is no, Chick.”
Chapter 2 of Right Half Hollins by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 215 sentences of Right Half Hollins, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Right Half Hollins by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 Right Half Hollins by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53986 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53986, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Right Half Hollins section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Right Half Hollins 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 Right Half Hollins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
