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The Aftermath
The Aftermath

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Aftermath is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Aftermath
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!
I want a little crème de menthe.
(_The waiter pays no attention._) ANTONY--Waiter!
A glass of curaçao and brandy.
(_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Aftermath

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Aftermath is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!
Line 2
I want a little crème de menthe.
Line 3
(_The waiter pays no attention._) ANTONY--Waiter!
Line 4
A glass of curaçao and brandy.
Line 5
(_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

Learner Dictionary

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.

antony noun US /ˈæntəni/

Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)

From this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

cleopatra noun US /ˌkliːəˈpætrə/

beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)

From this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

contracted adjective US /ˈkɑːntræktəd/

reduced in size or pulled together

From this reading “(_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.”

dinners noun US /ˈdɪnərz/

plural of “dinner” — the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading “(_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.”

jefferson noun US /ˈdʒefərsən/

3rd President of the United States; chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore it (1743-1826)

From this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

noblest adjective US /ˈnoʊblɪst/

superlative of “noble” — impressive in appearance

From this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

pays noun US /peɪz/

plural of “pay” — something that remunerates

From this reading “(_The waiter pays no attention._) ANTONY--Waiter!”

twentieth noun US /ˈtwentiəθ/

position 20 in a countable series of things

From this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

twentieth century noun + noun

the century from 1901 to 2000

In this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

looks at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “(_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.”

begin talking verb + noun

In this reading “JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I want a little crème de menthe.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

ANTONYnounUS /ˈæntəni/

Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading (_The waiter pays no attention._) ANTONY--Waiter!

beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

brandynounUS /ˈbrændi/

distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice

From this reading A glass of curaçao and brandy.

centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

CLEOPATRAnounUS /ˌkliːəˈpætrə/

beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

contractedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːntræktəd/

reduced in size or pulled together

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

crème

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I want a little crème de menthe.

curaçao

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A glass of curaçao and brandy.

CÆSAR

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading I want a little crème de menthe.

DeliveredverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərd/

past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

dinnersnounUS /ˈdɪnərz/

plural of “dinner” — the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

Etc

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

glassnounUS /ɡlæs/

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading A glass of curaçao and brandy.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

JEFFERSONnounUS /ˈdʒefərsən/

3rd President of the United States; chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore it (1743-1826)

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I want a little crème de menthe.

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

loudadjectiveUS /laʊd/

characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

maunders

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

menthe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I want a little crème de menthe.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading (_The waiter pays no attention._) ANTONY--Waiter!

noblestadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊblɪst/

superlative of “noble” — impressive in appearance

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A glass of curaçao and brandy.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

paysnounUS /peɪz/

plural of “pay” — something that remunerates

From this reading (_The waiter pays no attention._) ANTONY--Waiter!

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

twentiethnounUS /ˈtwentiəθ/

position 20 in a countable series of things

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

WaiternounUS /ˈweɪtər/

a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I want a little crème de menthe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading JEFFERSON--If I were asked what was the noblest message Delivered to the twentieth century, I should reply-- (_Etc., etc. While he maunders on_ ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, _and_ CÆSAR _begin talking rather loud_) CLEOPATRA--Waiter!

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading (_Waiter still looks at Jefferson._) CÆSAR--That is the worst of these contracted dinners.

Chapter 2 of The Aftermath by Hilaire Belloc holds 411 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.

What does chapter 2 of The Aftermath contain?

Chapter 2 holds 411 sentences of The Aftermath, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Aftermath by Hilaire Belloc exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of The Aftermath?

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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

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Chapter 1
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