Chapter 2 of The Law-Breakers is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Law-Breakers is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station. His official hours were long. They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily. Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits. The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
Chapter 2 of The Law-Breakers is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading “They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.”
time available for ease and relaxation
From this reading “Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.”
plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading “Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.”
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading “WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.”
having official authority or sanction
From this reading “His official hours were long.”
almost; nearly
From this reading “Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.”
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading “WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.”
the underside of footwear or a golf club
From this reading “WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.”
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.
In this reading “WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.”
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 to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His official hours were long.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading His official hours were long.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
time available for ease and relaxation
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading His official hours were long.
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
a form of address for a man
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
not any; not one
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
having official authority or sanction
From this reading His official hours were long.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
almost; nearly
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
in a serious manner
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
the underside of footwear or a golf club
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Curiously enough, his leisure extended to practically the same limits.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading The truth was, in summer, anyway, he had no duties that could seriously claim him.
two times
From this reading They extended round the dial of the clock twice daily.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His official hours were long.
a Caucasian
From this reading WHITE POINT Mr. Moss was the sole employe of the railroad company at White Point flag station.
Chapter 2 of The Law-Breakers by Ridgwell Cullum holds 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 143 sentences of The Law-Breakers, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Law-Breakers by Ridgwell Cullum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 Law-Breakers by Ridgwell Cullum on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10144 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29958 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29958, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Law-Breakers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Law-Breakers 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 Law-Breakers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
