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The Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Trumpeter Swan is here in full — 464 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Trumpeter Swan
Context Illustration Reading 1/92 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."
Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.
The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.
There had been meat and drink for man and beast.
The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Trumpeter Swan

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Trumpeter Swan is here in full — 464 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."
Line 2
Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.
/ˈʌndər ðə oʊld rəˈʒiːm ðer hæd bɪn noʊ niːd fɔːr ˈkʌntri klʌbz/
Line 3
The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.
/ðə ˈhaʊsəz ɑːn ðə ɡreɪt ɪˈsteɪts hæd bɪn θroʊn ˈoʊ.pən fɔːr ðə ˈkaʊnti ˈfæməliz ənd ðer frendz/
Line 4
There had been meat and drink for man and beast.
/ðer hæd bɪn miːt ənd drɪŋk fɔːr mæn ənd biːst/
Line 5
The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.
/ðə ˈsɜːrvənt ˈprɑːbləm hæd ˌhaʊˈevər ɪn ðiːz ˈlætər deɪz pʊt ə kɜːrb ɑːn ˈdʒenərəs ˈɪmpəls/

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.

Bannister noun US /ˈbænəstər/

English runner who in 1954 became the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes (born in 1929)

From this reading “STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."”

clubs noun US /klʌbz/

plural of “club” — a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading “Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.”

county noun US /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading “The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.”

curb noun US /kɜːrb/

an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)

From this reading “The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.”

estates noun US /ɪˈsteɪts/

plural of “estate” — everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading “The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.”

problem noun US /ˈprɑːbləm/

a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading “The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.”

regime noun US /rəˈʒiːm/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading “Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.”

stuffed adjective US /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading “STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

BannisternounUS /ˈbænəstər/

English runner who in 1954 became the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes (born in 1929)

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

beastnounUS /biːst/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading There had been meat and drink for man and beast.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

BIRDSnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

ClubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

clubsnounUS /klʌbz/

plural of “club” — a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

CountrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

countynounUS /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

curbnounUS /kɜːrb/

an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

declareverbUS /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

drinkverbUS /drɪŋk/

take in liquids

From this reading There had been meat and drink for man and beast.

estatesnounUS /ɪˈsteɪts/

plural of “estate” — everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

excrescencenoun

something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

familiesnounUS /ˈfæməliz/

plural of “family” — a social unit living together

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

generousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəs/

willing to give and share unstintingly

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpəls/

an instinctive motive

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading There had been meat and drink for man and beast.

meatnounUS /miːt/

the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

From this reading There had been meat and drink for man and beast.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

problemnounUS /ˈprɑːbləm/

a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

regimenounUS /rəˈʒiːm/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

STUFFEDadjectiveUS /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading The servant problem had, however, in these latter days, put a curb on generous impulse.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading The houses on the great estates had been thrown open for the county families and their friends.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Under the old regime, there had been no need for country clubs.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading STUFFED BIRDS I The Country Club was, as Judge Bannister had been the first to declare, "an excrescence."

Chapter 2 of The Trumpeter Swan by Temple Bailey holds 464 sentences, grouped into 93 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 Trumpeter Swan contain?

Chapter 2 holds 464 sentences of The Trumpeter Swan, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Trumpeter Swan by Temple Bailey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 464 sentences, grouped into 93 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 Trumpeter Swan?

Work through the 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 93 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 Trumpeter Swan

Common questions about reading The Trumpeter Swan by Temple Bailey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Trumpeter Swan?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Trumpeter Swan is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Trumpeter Swan take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Trumpeter Swan

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Trumpeter Swan, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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