Chapter 2 of The Double Widowing is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Double Widowing is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news. Tuneless It jumps right at you. I dared not tell you. I am certain you are strong enough to bear it. Bramble It happens to everybody.
Chapter 2 of The Double Widowing is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/100 · 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.
have
From this reading “I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.”
any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
From this reading “Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.”
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.”
every person
From this reading “Bramble It happens to everybody.”
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “Bramble It happens to everybody.”
plural of “jump” — a sudden and decisive increase
From this reading “Tuneless It jumps right at you.”
information about recent and important events
From this reading “Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Tuneless It jumps right at you.
have
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
every person
From this reading Bramble It happens to everybody.
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Bramble It happens to everybody.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I dared not tell you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Tuneless It jumps right at you.
plural of “jump” — a sudden and decisive increase
From this reading Tuneless It jumps right at you.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
information about recent and important events
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
not any; not one
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I dared not tell you.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Tuneless It jumps right at you.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
express in words
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bramble I've observed that no one dared tell me the news.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I am certain you are strong enough to bear it.
not having a musical sound or pleasing tune
From this reading Tuneless It jumps right at you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Tuneless It jumps right at you.
Chapter 2 of The Double Widowing by Charles Rivière Dufresny holds 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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.
Chapter 2 holds 500 sentences of The Double Widowing, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Double Widowing by Charles Rivière Dufresny exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 100 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 Double Widowing by Charles Rivière Dufresny on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Double Widowing section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Double Widowing 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 Double Widowing, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
