Chapter 2 of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way! _Belle._ I tell you it's too late. Too late! _(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle! Belle!
Chapter 2 of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
extreme mental distress
From this reading “_(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!”
a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading “_Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!”
a small worthless amount
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading “_Belle._ I tell you it's too late.”
plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition
From this reading “_(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!”
carry out
From this reading “_Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!”
express in words
From this reading “_Belle._ I tell you it's too late.”
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “_Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!”
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.
extreme mental distress
From this reading _(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!
a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
with convulsions, in a convulsive way
From this reading _(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Belle._ I tell you it's too late.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Belle._ I tell you it's too late.
a small worthless amount
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading _Belle._ I tell you it's too late.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!
plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition
From this reading _(She sobs convulsively.)_ _Jack (in anguish)._ Belle!
carry out
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
express in words
From this reading _Belle._ I tell you it's too late.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading _Belle._ I tell you it's too late.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading _Jack._ Belle, don't take on that way!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Belle._ I tell you it's too late.
Chapter 2 of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts by Upton Sinclair holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 434 sentences of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts by Upton Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1266 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5806 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5806, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 105 minutes of reading across 254 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts 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 Pot Boiler: A Comedy in Four Acts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
