Chapter 2 of The Dispatch-Riders is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Dispatch-Riders is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth. "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking. But why are your troops mobilizing?" The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column. "You understand our language?" he asked.
Chapter 2 of The Dispatch-Riders is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
of or relating to or characteristic of Belgium or the Belgian people
From this reading “The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.”
a line of units following one after another
From this reading “The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.”
plural of “german” — a person of German nationality
From this reading “"Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.”
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading “"Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.”
-ing form of “mobilize” — make ready for action or use
From this reading “But why are your troops mobilizing?"”
-ing form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading “The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.”
plural of “russian” — a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading “"Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.”
sounding like thunder
From this reading “"Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.”
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.
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 A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But why are your troops mobilizing?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
of or relating to or characteristic of Belgium or the Belgian people
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But why are your troops mobilizing?"
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
a line of units following one after another
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
plural of “german” — a person of German nationality
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
that which is pleasing or valuable or useful
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You understand our language?" he asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading "You understand our language?" he asked.
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
-ing form of “mobilize” — make ready for action or use
From this reading But why are your troops mobilizing?"
a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "You understand our language?" he asked.
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
-ing form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading The Belgian officer replied by producing a newspaper and pointing to a heavy-leaded column.
plural of “russian” — a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A Break-down "Is that so?" asked Kenneth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
sounding like thunder
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
soldiers collectively
From this reading But why are your troops mobilizing?"
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading "You understand our language?" he asked.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading But why are your troops mobilizing?"
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Then I hope to goodness the Russians will give the Germans a thundering good licking.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You understand our language?" he asked.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But why are your troops mobilizing?"
Chapter 2 of The Dispatch-Riders by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 126 sentences of The Dispatch-Riders, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Dispatch-Riders by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 Dispatch-Riders by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4869 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36500 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36500, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 405 minutes of reading across 974 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dispatch-Riders section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Dispatch-Riders 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 Dispatch-Riders, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
