Chapter 2 of The Mind Master is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Mind Master is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed! It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape. That had been in the African wilds. But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible. But the coincidences were too clear.
Chapter 2 of The Mind Master is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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 the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading “That had been in the African wilds.”
any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
From this reading “It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.”
plural of “coincidence” — an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental
From this reading “But the coincidences were too clear.”
extreme mental retardation
From this reading “But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.”
used as intensifiers
From this reading “_Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!”
a final peremptory demand
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading “It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.”
plural of “wild” — a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
From this reading “That had been in the African wilds.”
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.
of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading That had been in the African wilds.
anew
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That had been in the African wilds.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
rid of obstructions
From this reading But the coincidences were too clear.
plural of “coincidence” — an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental
From this reading But the coincidences were too clear.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
(of an idea or story) so exaggerated or ludicrous as to be improbable
From this reading _Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
provoking horror
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!
extreme mental retardation
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!
and nothing more
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
on one occasion
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading _Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
used as intensifiers
From this reading _Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
a special situation
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading But the coincidences were too clear.
a final peremptory demand
From this reading _Ultimatum_ How terribly far-fetched it seemed!
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But the idiocy of the thing now rested in Bentley's belief that here, immediately upon landing, he was again facing something just as horrible.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was unbelievable enough that Bentley had once reposed in the body of an ape.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the coincidences were too clear.
plural of “wild” — a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
From this reading That had been in the African wilds.
Chapter 2 of The Mind Master by Arthur J. Burks holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 178 sentences of The Mind Master, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Mind Master by Arthur J. Burks exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 Mind Master by Arthur J. Burks on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1929 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29416 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29416, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 160 minutes of reading across 386 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mind Master section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Mind Master 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 Mind Master, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
