Chapter 2 of The River Prophet is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The River Prophet is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Virtue had not been rewarded. This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline. Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering. She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty. It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
Chapter 2 of The River Prophet is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading “It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.”
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading “This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.”
made known (especially something secret or concealed)
From this reading “Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.”
a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another
From this reading “She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.”
your parents
From this reading “It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.”
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading “It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.”
past form of “reward” — bestow honor or rewards upon
From this reading “Virtue had not been rewarded.”
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading “Virtue had not been rewarded.”
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 She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Virtue had not been rewarded.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
rid of obstructions
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
made known (especially something secret or concealed)
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
every person
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
your parents
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
a young female
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Virtue had not been rewarded.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
not any; not one
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Virtue had not been rewarded.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
past form of “reward” — bestow honor or rewards upon
From this reading Virtue had not been rewarded.
precisely, exactly
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed that poor folks had no right to be good-looking, anyhow.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
a state of acute pain
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading She was a pretty girl; everybody said that, and envy said she was too pretty.
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading Virtue had not been rewarded.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This much was clear and plain to the consciousness of Nelia Carline.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Looking at herself in the glass disclosed no special reason why she should be unhappy and suffering.
Chapter 2 of The River Prophet by Raymond S. (Raymond Smiley) Spears holds 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 72 sentences of The River Prophet, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The River Prophet by Raymond S. (Raymond Smiley) Spears exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 Prophet by Raymond S. (Raymond Smiley) Spears on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4179 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28848 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28848, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 348 minutes of reading across 836 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The River Prophet section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The River Prophet 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 Prophet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
