Chapter 9 of Second String is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Second String is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"INTERJECTION." Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems. Therein he showed the quality of his mind. One thing at a time, settle that. As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
Chapter 9 of Second String is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/64 · 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.
possessive form of “butcher” — a retailer of meat
From this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
acclaimed actress of stage and screen (1900-1993)
From this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
an abrupt emphatic exclamation expressing emotion
From this reading “"INTERJECTION."”
possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
a gradual sinking to a lower level
From this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
(formal) in or into that thing or place
From this reading “Therein he showed the quality of his mind.”
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 “As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"”
simultaneously
In this reading “One thing at a time, settle that.”
In this reading “Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.”
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
In this reading “As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"”
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 Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading One thing at a time, settle that.
possessive form of “butcher” — a retailer of meat
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
acclaimed actress of stage and screen (1900-1993)
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Therein he showed the quality of his mind.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Therein he showed the quality of his mind.
an abrupt emphatic exclamation expressing emotion
From this reading "INTERJECTION."
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Therein he showed the quality of his mind.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One thing at a time, settle that.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading Therein he showed the quality of his mind.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
express in words
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading One thing at a time, settle that.
a gradual sinking to a lower level
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
do one's shopping
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Therein he showed the quality of his mind.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading One thing at a time, settle that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
(formal) in or into that thing or place
From this reading Therein he showed the quality of his mind.
a special situation
From this reading One thing at a time, settle that.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading One thing at a time, settle that.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Settling the question of the butcher's shop had seemed to Andy Hayes like a final solution of life's problems.
a source of difficulty
From this reading As he had learnt to say 'on the other side,' "Don't look for trouble!"
Chapter 9 of Second String by Anthony Hope holds 323 sentences, grouped into 65 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 9 holds 323 sentences of Second String, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Second String by Anthony Hope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 323 sentences, grouped into 65 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 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 65 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 9 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 Second String by Anthony Hope on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9221 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38796 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38796, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1845 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Second String section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Second String 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 Second String, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
