Chapter 2 of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack is here in full — 460 sentences across 92 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 Poor Mrs. Quack is here in full — 460 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed. “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly. “And that wasn't the worst of it. I told you that when we started each of us had a mate. Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
Chapter 2 of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack is here in full — 460 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/92 · 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.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading “Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.”
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading ““Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.”
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading ““Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.”
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading “I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.”
a pair of people who live together
From this reading “Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.”
an untrained person who pretends to be a physician and who dispenses medical advice
From this reading ““Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.”
in an unfortunate way
From this reading ““Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.”
the least favorable outcome
From this reading ““And that wasn't the worst of it.”
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 I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And that wasn't the worst of it.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
set up or found
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
be the source of pain
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “And that wasn't the worst of it.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
a pair of people who live together
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “And that wasn't the worst of it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
an untrained person who pretends to be a physician and who dispenses medical advice
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
in an unfortunate way
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “And that wasn't the worst of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “Killed or hurt by those terrible guns,” replied Mrs. Quack sadly.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And that wasn't the worst of it.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
at the time that
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Where were the others?” asked Peter, although he guessed.
which person or people
From this reading Now we found that of those who had escaped, four had lost their mates.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “And that wasn't the worst of it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I told you that when we started each of us had a mate.
Chapter 2 of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 460 sentences, grouped into 92 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 460 sentences of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 460 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 Poor Mrs. Quack by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 934 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5846 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5846, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 77 minutes of reading across 187 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack 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 Poor Mrs. Quack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
