Chapter 2 of The Californians is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Californians is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What--what--" "Boys' clothes. Can't you see for yourself? I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me." "Of course I shall not. What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
Chapter 2 of The Californians is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
clothing in general
From this reading “"What--what--" "Boys' clothes.”
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
perceived or discerned
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
possessive form of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading “What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.”
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 What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading "What--what--" "Boys' clothes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can't you see for yourself?
clothing in general
From this reading "What--what--" "Boys' clothes.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course I shall not.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
perceived or discerned
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
start firing a weapon
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Can't you see for yourself?
possessive form of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
the act of departing
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Of course I shall not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Of course I shall not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of course I shall not.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Can't you see for yourself?
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "Of course I shall not.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading What possessed you--" But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What--what--" "Boys' clothes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Can't you see for yourself?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm going to the fire, and you're going with me."
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading Can't you see for yourself?
Chapter 2 of The Californians by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 405 sentences of The Californians, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Californians by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Californians by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5670 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21903 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21903, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 472 minutes of reading across 1134 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Californians section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Californians 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 Californians, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
