Chapter 2 of The river is here in full — 290 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The river is here in full — 290 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk. He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum. Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder. Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk. “Sit down!”
Chapter 2 of The river is here in full — 290 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/58 · 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.
past form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading “He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.”
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading “Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.”
a floor covering
From this reading “He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.”
United States actor (1914-1998)
From this reading “A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.”
addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous)
From this reading “A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.”
possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading “He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.”
worn away as by water or ice or wind
From this reading “He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.”
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 a seat
In this reading ““Sit down!””
In this reading “A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.”
In this reading “A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.”
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 A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
past form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
exhausted as a result of longtime stress
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a receptacle for spit (usually in a public place)
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Sit down!”
inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
having a flat or flattened upper surface
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
in the recent past
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a floor covering
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
United States actor (1914-1998)
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous)
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
above and across; more than
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
worn away as by water or ice or wind
From this reading He aimed his burned-out cigar at the nearest cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes scattering over Sam’s lately scoured linoleum.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.
be seated
From this reading “Sit down!”
process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Marshall emptied his pockets of loose papers, spreading them out on his flat-top desk.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading A BIT OF ORATORY MARSHALL threw his hat on a chair, the morning paper on his desk.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Instantly there was appearance of settled disorder.
Chapter 2 of The river by Ednah Aiken holds 290 sentences, grouped into 58 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 290 sentences of The river, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The river by Ednah Aiken exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 290 sentences, grouped into 58 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 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 58 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 river by Ednah Aiken on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The river section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The river 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 river, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
