Chapter 2 of The short life is here in full — 490 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 short life is here in full — 490 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?" "Oh ... that. Just something that came to mind." "But what does it mean?" "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
Chapter 2 of The short life is here in full — 490 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/98 · 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.
rolled longitudinally upon itself
From this reading “"I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “"What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"”
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “Just something that came to mind."”
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading “"I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.”
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “"I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.”
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading “"I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Just something that came to mind."”
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “"What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"”
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 "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But what does it mean?"
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Just something that came to mind."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"
rolled longitudinally upon itself
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "But what does it mean?"
and nothing more
From this reading Just something that came to mind."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Just something that came to mind."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh ... that.
and nothing more
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Just something that came to mind."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Oh ... that.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't really know, Timmy ... something about convolutions or a convoluted shape, I think, but that's only part of it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Just something that came to mind."
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What does 'challonari' mean, Uncle Phil?"
Chapter 2 of The short life by Francis Donovan holds 490 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 490 sentences of The short life, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The short life by Francis Donovan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 490 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 short life by Francis Donovan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1444 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23928 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23928, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 120 minutes of reading across 289 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The short life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The short life 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 short life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
