Chapter 2 of The Old Ones is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Old Ones is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful. "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully. "The good of the country is always expensive." "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?" Dr. Farrar could be cagey.
Chapter 2 of The Old Ones is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/97 · 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.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading “Dr. Farrar could be cagey.”
power to direct or determine
From this reading “"The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.”
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading “"The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.”
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading “"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"”
plural of “misfit” — someone unable to adapt to their circumstances
From this reading “"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"”
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading “"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"”
relating to human society and its members
From this reading “"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"”
having intellectual depth
From this reading “Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful.”
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 “"The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.”
In this reading “Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful.”
In this reading “"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"”
keep in mind for attention or consideration
In this reading “"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"”
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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "The good of the country is always expensive."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading Dr. Farrar could be cagey.
power to direct or determine
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Dr. Farrar could be cagey.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading "The good of the country is always expensive."
in a doubtful manner
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "The good of the country is always expensive."
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The good of the country is always expensive."
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful.
plural of “misfit” — someone unable to adapt to their circumstances
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The good of the country is always expensive."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
relating to human society and its members
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
having intellectual depth
From this reading Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?"
Chapter 2 of The Old Ones by Betsy Curtis holds 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 487 sentences of The Old Ones, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Old Ones by Betsy Curtis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 98 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 Old Ones by Betsy Curtis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1455 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65064 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #65064, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 121 minutes of reading across 291 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Old Ones section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Old Ones 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 Old Ones, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
