Chapter 2 of The Runaway Skyscraper is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Runaway Skyscraper is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"People, listen to me! I'm going to tell you what's happened!" In an instant there was dead silence. He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety. "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
Chapter 2 of The Runaway Skyscraper is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading “He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.”
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “"To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.”
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading “He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.”
with confidence; in a confident manner
From this reading “"To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.”
twisted (especially as in pain or struggle)
From this reading “He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.”
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.”
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading “In an instant there was dead silence.”
hear with intention
From this reading “"People, listen to me!”
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 found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
with confidence; in a confident manner
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
twisted (especially as in pain or struggle)
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
set up or found
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
the act of departing
From this reading I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
hear with intention
From this reading "People, listen to me!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "People, listen to me!
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "People, listen to me!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
express in words
From this reading I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "People, listen to me!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In an instant there was dead silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
a Caucasian
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He found himself the center of a sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
Chapter 2 of The Runaway Skyscraper by Murray Leinster holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 412 sentences of The Runaway Skyscraper, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Runaway Skyscraper by Murray Leinster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Runaway Skyscraper by Murray Leinster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1208 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 100 minutes of reading across 242 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Runaway Skyscraper section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Runaway Skyscraper 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 Runaway Skyscraper, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
