Chapter 2 of That Sweet Little Old Lady is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of That Sweet Little Old Lady is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Malone shifted his feet. "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said. "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped. You see, I'm on the telepathy case." Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
Chapter 2 of That Sweet Little Old Lady is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “Malone shifted his feet.”
superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified
From this reading “Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.”
possessive form of “o'connor” — United States writer (1925-1964)
From this reading “Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.”
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “"I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.”
(sometimes followed by “to”) applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique
From this reading “"I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.”
in a condition for letting out liquid drawn out as by piercing or drawing a plug
From this reading “"It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.”
apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions
From this reading “You see, I'm on the telepathy case."”
past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive
From this reading “Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.”
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 "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
any thing at all
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
an occurrence of something
From this reading You see, I'm on the telepathy case."
to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Malone shifted his feet.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Malone shifted his feet.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
immediately past
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading Malone shifted his feet.
superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified
From this reading Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
possessive form of “o'connor” — United States writer (1925-1964)
From this reading Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
above and across; more than
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You see, I'm on the telepathy case."
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading Malone shifted his feet.
(sometimes followed by “to”) applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
in a condition for letting out liquid drawn out as by piercing or drawing a plug
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions
From this reading You see, I'm on the telepathy case."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
precisely as stated
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading "It wasn't anything I wanted to discuss over a line that might have been tapped.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm afraid I wasn't very specific on the phone last night," he said.
past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive
From this reading Dr. O'Connor's eyes widened the merest trifle.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You see, I'm on the telepathy case."
Chapter 2 of That Sweet Little Old Lady by Randall Garrett holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 398 sentences of That Sweet Little Old Lady, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of That Sweet Little Old Lady by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 That Sweet Little Old Lady by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3616 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23657 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23657, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 301 minutes of reading across 724 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through That Sweet Little Old Lady section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of That Sweet Little Old Lady 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 That Sweet Little Old Lady, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
