Chapter 2 of The Star Hyacinths is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Star Hyacinths is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?" "Three and a half," she said. She paused. "Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?" "Yes.
Chapter 2 of The Star Hyacinths is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
in the past
From this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “She paused.”
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange
From this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading “"Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?"”
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.
In this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
In this reading “"The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"”
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 "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
in the past
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Three and a half," she said.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?"
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "Three and a half," she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?"
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading She paused.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Three and a half," she said.
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Three and a half," she said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "Three and a half," she said.
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading "Handing's Scout is the other wreck down there?"
a late time of life
From this reading "The Fleet lost a unit called Handing's Scout about four years ago, didn't it?"
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes.
Chapter 2 of The Star Hyacinths by James H. Schmitz holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 424 sentences of The Star Hyacinths, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Star Hyacinths by James H. Schmitz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 Star Hyacinths by James H. Schmitz on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1276 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26292 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26292, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 106 minutes of reading across 256 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Star Hyacinths section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Star Hyacinths 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 Star Hyacinths, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
