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The Chessmen of Mars
The Chessmen of Mars

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Chessmen of Mars is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edgar Rice Burroughs • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Chessmen of Mars
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.
She would then refuse, haughtily.
But no appeal came from Djor Kantos.
At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.
She could not understand.
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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 Chessmen of Mars

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Chessmen of Mars is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.
Line 2
She would then refuse, haughtily.
/ʃiː wʊd ðen rəˈfjuːz ˈhɔːtɪli/
Line 3
But no appeal came from Djor Kantos.
Line 4
At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.
/æt fɜːrst ˈterə ʌv ˈhiːliəm wɑːz ˈæŋɡri ðen ʃiː wɑːz hɜːrt ənd ˈɔːlweɪz ʃiː wɑːz ˈpʌzəld/
Line 5
She could not understand.
/ʃiː kʊd nɑːt ˌʌndərˈstænd/

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.

apartments noun US /əˈpɑːrtmənts/

plural of “apartment” — a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awaited adjective US /əˈweɪtɪd/

expected hopefully

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
begging noun US /ˈbeɡɪŋ/

a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gale's noun US /ɡeɪlz/

possessive form of “gale” — a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardens noun US /ˈɡɑːrdənz/

plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haughtily adverb US /ˈhɔːtɪli/

in a haughty manner

From this reading “She would then refuse, haughtily.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Helium noun US /ˈhiːliəm/

a very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses; the most difficult gas to liquefy; occurs in economically extractable amounts in certain natural gases (as those found in Texas and Kansas)

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tara noun US /ˈterə/

a village in eastern Ireland (northwest of Dublin); seat of Irish kings until 6th century

From this reading “AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 46

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.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
apartmentsnounUS /əˈpɑːrtmənts/

plural of “apartment” — a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
appealverbUS /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading But no appeal came from Djor Kantos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
awaitedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪtɪd/

expected hopefully

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beggingnounUS /ˈbeɡɪŋ/

a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading But no appeal came from Djor Kantos.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She could not understand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Djor

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

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Pending verification
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GALE'SnounUS /ɡeɪlz/

possessive form of “gale” — a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardensnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənz/

plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
guestsnounUS /ɡests/

plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haughtilyadverbUS /ˈhɔːtɪli/

in a haughty manner

From this reading She would then refuse, haughtily.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HeliumnounUS /ˈhiːliəm/

a very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses; the most difficult gas to liquefy; occurs in economically extractable amounts in certain natural gases (as those found in Texas and Kansas)

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Kantos

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

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Pending verification
knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MERCYnounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading But no appeal came from Djor Kantos.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
puzzledadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəld/

filled with bewilderment

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

From this reading She would then refuse, haughtily.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TaranounUS /ˈterə/

a village in eastern Ireland (northwest of Dublin); seat of Irish kings until 6th century

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading She would then refuse, haughtily.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading She could not understand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading At first Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading AT THE GALE'S MERCY Tara of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the gardens.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She would then refuse, haughtily.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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.

What does chapter 2 of The Chessmen of Mars contain?

Chapter 2 holds 196 sentences of The Chessmen of Mars, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Chessmen of Mars?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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.

Questions about reading The Chessmen of Mars

Common questions about reading The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Chessmen of Mars?

Yes. All 4587 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1153 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Chessmen of Mars is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1153, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Chessmen of Mars take to read?

About 382 minutes of reading across 918 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Chessmen of Mars section by section

How to work through The Chessmen of Mars section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Chessmen of Mars

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Chessmen of Mars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Helium
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chessmen of Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Silks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chessmen of Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reclining
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chessmen of Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stretched
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chessmen of Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.