Chapter 2 of The Coral Island is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Coral Island is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other. "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair. "Never," I replied. "It appears to me like fairy realms. I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
Chapter 2 of The Coral Island is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “"It appears to me like fairy realms.”
-ing form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading “On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.”
a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
From this reading “On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.”
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading “I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."”
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading “"It appears to me like fairy realms.”
plural of “realm” — a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading “"It appears to me like fairy realms.”
a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
From this reading “"Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.”
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading “On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.”
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.
later than; following
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
any thing at all
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "It appears to me like fairy realms.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
-ing form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
at any time
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading "It appears to me like fairy realms.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It appears to me like fairy realms.
a small worthless amount
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "It appears to me like fairy realms.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It appears to me like fairy realms.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never," I replied.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
plural of “realm” — a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading "It appears to me like fairy realms.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Never," I replied.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
only a very short time before
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I rose close to each other.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
Chapter 2 of The Coral Island by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne holds 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 386 sentences of The Coral Island, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Coral Island by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 Coral Island by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4047 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21721 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21721, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 337 minutes of reading across 810 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Coral Island section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Coral Island 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 Coral Island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
