Chapter 2 of The Italian Twins is here in full — 495 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Italian Twins is here in full — 495 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi. "Think of the risk we run! If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us. Their parents will lay every trap to catch us. It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
Chapter 2 of The Italian Twins is here in full — 495 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/99 · 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.
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading “"That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.”
large or big relative to something else
From this reading “It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.”
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading “"That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.”
provided with a secure reputation
From this reading “If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.”
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading “It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.”
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading “Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.”
a resident of Tuscany
From this reading “"That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.”
plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading “It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.”
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 It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
provided with a secure reputation
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading "Think of the risk we run!
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading "Think of the risk we run!
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Think of the risk we run!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Think of the risk we run!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
a resident of Tuscany
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading It is safe enough in these mountain villages, but in the larger towns it will be a different story.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Think of the risk we run!
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Their parents will lay every trap to catch us.
in the company of; together with
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If the ragazzini should be recognised, it would go hard with us.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "That's more of your oily Tuscan talk," growled Luigi.
Chapter 2 of The Italian Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins holds 495 sentences, grouped into 99 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 495 sentences of The Italian Twins, unabridged, divided into 99 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Italian Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 495 sentences, grouped into 99 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 99 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 99 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 Italian Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 998 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28426 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28426, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 83 minutes of reading across 200 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Italian Twins section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Italian Twins 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 Italian Twins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
