Chapter 2 of Rollo's Experiments is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Rollo's Experiments is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"True," said Jonas; "I see. I advise you to give it up." "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard." "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that." "But then I can't hold it."
Chapter 2 of Rollo's Experiments is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
give advice to
From this reading “I advise you to give it up."”
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading “"O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."”
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “"Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “"But then I can't hold it."”
be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading “"O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."”
Norse chieftain who became the first duke of Normandy (860-931)
From this reading “"Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."”
a source of difficulty
From this reading “"O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."”
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading “"Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."”
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.
give advice to
From this reading I advise you to give it up."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But then I can't hold it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But then I can't hold it."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I advise you to give it up."
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "But then I can't hold it."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "True," said Jonas; "I see.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I advise you to give it up."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "True," said Jonas; "I see.
be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
not any; not one
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
Norse chieftain who became the first duke of Normandy (860-931)
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "True," said Jonas; "I see.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "True," said Jonas; "I see.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "But then I can't hold it."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I advise you to give it up."
a source of difficulty
From this reading "O, no," said Jonas; "_that_ is no great trouble--you could easily manage that."
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "True," said Jonas; "I see.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I advise you to give it up."
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," said Rollo, "the wood is so hard."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I advise you to give it up."
Chapter 2 of Rollo's Experiments by Jacob Abbott holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 421 sentences of Rollo's Experiments, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Rollo's Experiments by Jacob Abbott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 Rollo's Experiments by Jacob Abbott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1638 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24993 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24993, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 136 minutes of reading across 328 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rollo's Experiments section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Rollo's Experiments 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 Rollo's Experiments, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
