Chapter 2 of The Spell is here in full — 415 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 Spell is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Exactly. That is just what I wanted you to say. Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile. Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body. We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
Chapter 2 of The Spell is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
further or added
From this reading “We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.”
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading “Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.”
the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else
From this reading “We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.”
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading “Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.”
refuse to acknowledge
From this reading “We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.”
manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something
From this reading “Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.”
using (or as if using) mechanisms or tools or devices
From this reading “Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.”
third-person singular of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading “Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.”
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.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
further or added
From this reading We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else
From this reading We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
refuse to acknowledge
From this reading We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading "Exactly.
manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
and nothing more
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
using (or as if using) mechanisms or tools or devices
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
third-person singular of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
express in words
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
an enlarged and muscular saclike organ of the alimentary canal; the principal organ of digestion
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We may disregard the additional dependence of the brain.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Now, every human stomach is an engine which requires at least as intelligent handling as that of an automobile.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Upon its successful working depends the mechanical action of the body.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading That is just what I wanted you to say.
Chapter 2 of The Spell by William Dana Orcutt holds 415 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 415 sentences of The Spell, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Spell by William Dana Orcutt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 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 Spell by William Dana Orcutt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5413 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35607 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35607, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 451 minutes of reading across 1083 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Spell section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Spell 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 Spell, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
