Chapter 2 of Russian Silhouettes is here in full — 424 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 Russian Silhouettes is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes. “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son. “Do you really see your father?” But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff. “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
Chapter 2 of Russian Silhouettes is here in full — 424 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.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading ““It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.””
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading “But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.”
reflecting light
From this reading ““I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.”
intense and profound fear
From this reading “But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.”
hear with intention
From this reading ““Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.”
capable of happening or existing
From this reading ““It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.””
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading ““I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.”
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading ““Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.”
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 “But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you really see your father?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
opinion or judgment
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “Do you really see your father?”
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
reflecting light
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
intense and profound fear
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
hear with intention
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “It cannot be possible!” his mother exclaimed, “I must go and ask Pelagia.”
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Do you really see your father?”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Do you really see your father?”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
a male human offspring
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading “Listen, Aliosha,” she asked, turning to her son.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading “I don’t understand!” cried Olga Ivanovna, the tears glistening in her eyes.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But Aliosha did not hear her, his eyes were fixed with horror on Belayeff.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you really see your father?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you really see your father?”
Chapter 2 of Russian Silhouettes by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov holds 424 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 424 sentences of Russian Silhouettes, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Russian Silhouettes by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 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 Russian Silhouettes by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Russian Silhouettes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Russian Silhouettes 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 Russian Silhouettes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
