Chapter 2 of Tales of a Cruel Country is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Tales of a Cruel Country is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!” Mrs. Kontorompa objected. “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously. “What is?” “Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.
Chapter 2 of Tales of a Cruel Country is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
immersing the body in water or sunshine
From this reading ““But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!””
the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading ““But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!””
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading ““But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!””
informal terms for a mother
From this reading ““Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading ““But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!””
past form of “object” — express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent
From this reading “Mrs. Kontorompa objected.”
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading ““Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading ““But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!””
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.
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 “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
immersing the body in water or sunshine
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
and nothing more
From this reading “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Kontorompa objected.
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.
in a disobedient or naughty way
From this reading “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Kontorompa objected.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.
not any; not one
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
past form of “object” — express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent
From this reading Mrs. Kontorompa objected.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading “Oh, nothing, mamma, my precious.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, that’s just it!” said Katya mischievously.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “But you have nothing to cover yourself with--no bathing costume!”
Chapter 2 of Tales of a Cruel Country by Gerald Cumberland holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 413 sentences of Tales of a Cruel Country, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Tales of a Cruel Country by Gerald Cumberland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Tales of a Cruel Country by Gerald Cumberland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4880 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60272 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60272, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 406 minutes of reading across 976 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tales of a Cruel Country section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Tales of a Cruel Country 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 Tales of a Cruel Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
