Chapter 2 of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Set me any task,” said I. “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you. Do not pursue me. Let me see you in your daily work. I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
Chapter 2 of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading “Let me see you in your daily work.”
an old word for “no”
From this reading ““Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.”
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading “Do not pursue me.”
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading “I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.””
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading ““Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.”
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading ““Set me any task,” said I.”
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading “I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.””
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading “I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.””
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.
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Set me any task,” said I.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Let me see you in your daily work.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do not pursue me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Set me any task,” said I.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Let me see you in your daily work.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Set me any task,” said I.
an old word for “no”
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Do not pursue me.
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading Do not pursue me.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Set me any task,” said I.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “Set me any task,” said I.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading “Set me any task,” said I.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading I am to be Lady in Waiting to the Queen, and I may see you thus.”
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Let me see you in your daily work.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Nay,” she replied, “let me but see you.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Let me see you in your daily work.
Chapter 2 of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories by Edward Hart holds 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 458 sentences of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories by Edward Hart exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories by Edward Hart on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2695 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72231 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72231, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 224 minutes of reading across 539 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories 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 silica gel pseudomorph, and other stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
