Chapter 2 of The Black Star Passes is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Black Star Passes is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It does seem reasonable. I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible. Have you any ideas?" "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them. Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
Chapter 2 of The Black Star Passes is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
close at the end of a session
From this reading “Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."”
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “"Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.”
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading “"Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.”
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Have you any ideas?"”
the quality of not being perceivable by the eye
From this reading “I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.”
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading “"It does seem reasonable.”
in theory; according to the assumed facts
From this reading “I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.”
the day after today
From this reading “"Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.”
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.
close at the end of a session
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Have you any ideas?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It does seem reasonable.
divisible by two
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Have you any ideas?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Have you any ideas?"
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
the quality of not being perceivable by the eye
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It does seem reasonable.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
without preparation
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading "It does seem reasonable.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "It does seem reasonable.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
in theory; according to the assumed facts
From this reading I can't see off-hand how his invisibility is even theoretically possible.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Let's adjourn this meeting, if you can all come tomorrow."
up to a particular time
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
the day after today
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, Dad, I have, but I want to wait till tomorrow night to demonstrate them.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Have you any ideas?"
Chapter 2 of The Black Star Passes by John W., Jr. (John Wood) Campbell holds 439 sentences, grouped into 88 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 439 sentences of The Black Star Passes, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Black Star Passes by John W., Jr. (John Wood) Campbell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 439 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Black Star Passes by John W., Jr. (John Wood) Campbell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4372 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20707 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20707, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 364 minutes of reading across 875 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Black Star Passes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Black Star Passes 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 Black Star Passes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
