Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Silver Shield is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ALMA. (_at easel_) That's a good picture. Who's the artist? SIR H. (_following ALMA_) Nobody particular.
The Silver Shield
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Silver Shield is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
ALMA.
(_at
easel_)
That's
a
good
picture.
Who's
the
artist?
SIR
H.
(_following
ALMA_)
Nobody
particular.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Silver Shield
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Silver Shield is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
ALMA.
Line 2
(_at
easel_)
That's
a
good
picture.
Line 3
Who's
the
artist?
Line 4
SIR
H.
/sɜːr eɪtʃ/
Line 5
(_following
ALMA_)
Nobody
particular.
Learner Dictionary
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.
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading “Who's the artist?”
easel
noun
US /ˈiːzəl/
an upright tripod for displaying something (usually an artist's canvas)
about to be mentioned or specified
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “(_at easel_) That's a good picture.”
no person; not anyone
From this reading “(_following ALMA_) Nobody particular.”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “(_following ALMA_) Nobody particular.”
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading “(_at easel_) That's a good picture.”
term of address for a man
From this reading “SIR H.”
Word partnerships in these lines
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.
All words in this reading · 15
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 (_at easel_) That's a good picture.
ALMA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ALMA.
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading Who's the artist?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading (_at easel_) That's a good picture.
easelnounUS /ˈiːzəl/
an upright tripod for displaying something (usually an artist's canvas)
From this reading (_at easel_) That's a good picture.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading (_following ALMA_) Nobody particular.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading (_at easel_) That's a good picture.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading SIR H.
no person; not anyone
From this reading (_following ALMA_) Nobody particular.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading (_following ALMA_) Nobody particular.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading (_at easel_) That's a good picture.
term of address for a man
From this reading SIR H.
That's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (_at easel_) That's a good picture.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Who's the artist?
Who's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Who's the artist?
Chapter 2 of The Silver Shield by Sydney Grundy holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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.
What does chapter 2 of The Silver Shield contain?
Chapter 2 holds 436 sentences of The Silver Shield, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Silver Shield by Sydney Grundy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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.
How do I study chapter 2 of The Silver Shield?
Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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.
Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?
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.
Questions about reading The Silver Shield
Common questions about reading The Silver Shield by Sydney Grundy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Silver Shield?
Yes. All 3426 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41033 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Silver Shield is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #41033, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Silver Shield take to read?
About 285 minutes of reading across 686 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Silver Shield section by section
How to work through The Silver Shield section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Silver Shield to begin.
-
Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Silver Shield
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Silver Shield, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Silver
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Silver Shield; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Shield
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Silver Shield; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Original
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Silver Shield; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Comedy
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Silver Shield; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.