Chapter 2 of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust? In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life? Says the poet--and the poets know: "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet." You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
Chapter 2 of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/7 · 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 “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading “"The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."”
remove the dust from
From this reading “Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?”
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading “Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?”
a relatively small granular particle of a substance
From this reading “Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?”
come to pass
From this reading “You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.”
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading “You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.”
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading “Says the poet--and the poets know:”
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading “Says the poet--and the poets know:”
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 “You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.”
be restored
In this reading “In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?”
In this reading “"The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."”
in reality or actuality
In this reading “In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?”
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 Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
remove the dust from
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
a relatively small granular particle of a substance
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
come to pass
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Says the poet--and the poets know:
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
on one occasion
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading Says the poet--and the poets know:
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading Says the poet--and the poets know:
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading Says the poet--and the poets know:
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Says the poet--and the poets know:
a special situation
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In fact, what is flesh and blood but dust come back to life?
precisely as stated
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "The very dust that blows along the street Once whispered to its love that life is sweet."
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Finally, if what we call flesh and blood can think and talk, why not a grain of dust?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You see it's as likely a thing as could happen--this whole story.
Chapter 2 of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust by Hallam Hawksworth holds 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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 35 sentences of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust by Hallam Hawksworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 7 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 The Adventures of a Grain of Dust by Hallam Hawksworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2698 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38066, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 224 minutes of reading across 540 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Adventures of a Grain of Dust section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Adventures of a Grain of Dust 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 The Adventures of a Grain of Dust, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
