Chapter 2 of Second Variety is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Second Variety is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I want to come." Hendricks fumbled in his pack. "It isn't worth it. Here." He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
Chapter 2 of Second Variety is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
plural of “can” — airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.
From this reading “He tossed down the food cans he had with him.”
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading “He tossed down the food cans he had with him.”
past form of “fumble” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading “Hendricks fumbled in his pack.”
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Here."”
arrange in a container
From this reading “Hendricks fumbled in his pack.”
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading “He tossed down the food cans he had with him.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “"I want to come."”
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading “"It isn't worth it.”
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 “Hendricks fumbled in his pack.”
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.
plural of “can” — airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I want to come."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
past form of “fumble” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading Hendricks fumbled in his pack.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hendricks fumbled in his pack.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Hendricks fumbled in his pack.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I want to come."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Hendricks fumbled in his pack.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It isn't worth it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It isn't worth it.
arrange in a container
From this reading Hendricks fumbled in his pack.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I want to come."
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I want to come."
in the company of; together with
From this reading He tossed down the food cans he had with him.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading "It isn't worth it.
Chapter 2 of Second Variety by Philip K. Dick holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 408 sentences of Second Variety, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Second Variety by Philip K. Dick exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Second Variety by Philip K. Dick 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 Second Variety section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Second Variety 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 Variety, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
