Chapter 2 of The Observers is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Observers is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
* * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby. The word "urgent" was written on it. He raced upstairs and picked up the phone. Frank answered on the first ring. He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
Chapter 2 of The Observers is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading “* * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.”
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading “* * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.”
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.”
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading “He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.”
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading “He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.”
telephone central where circuits are completed with patchcords
From this reading “* * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.”
on a floor above
From this reading “He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.”
compelling immediate action
From this reading “The word "urgent" was written on it.”
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.
take and lift upward
In this reading “He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.”
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 He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Frank answered on the first ring.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Frank answered on the first ring.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The word "urgent" was written on it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The word "urgent" was written on it.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Frank answered on the first ring.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
telephone central where circuits are completed with patchcords
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
on a floor above
From this reading He raced upstairs and picked up the phone.
compelling immediate action
From this reading The word "urgent" was written on it.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading * * * * * Frank Barnes' message was waiting for him at the switchboard in the lobby.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He sounded like a man with a gun at his back.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The word "urgent" was written on it.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading The word "urgent" was written on it.
Chapter 2 of The Observers by G. L. Vandenburg holds 442 sentences, grouped into 89 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 442 sentences of The Observers, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Observers by G. L. Vandenburg exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 442 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 Observers by G. L. Vandenburg on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 901 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31123 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31123, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 75 minutes of reading across 181 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Observers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Observers 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 Observers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
