Chapter 2 of The Variable Man is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Variable Man is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I'll tell you in a few minutes." Reinhart called Kaplan over. "Here are some new items. Feed them in right away. I want to see if the machines can total them."
Chapter 2 of The Variable Man is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Reinhart called Kaplan over.”
provide as food
From this reading “Feed them in right away.”
plural of “item” — a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
From this reading “"Here are some new items.”
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “I want to see if the machines can total them."”
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading “"I'll tell you in a few minutes."”
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading “"Here are some new items.”
add up in number or quantity
From this reading “I want to see if the machines can total them."”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I want to see if the machines can total them."”
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 “"I'll tell you in a few minutes."”
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 "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Here are some new items.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Feed them in right away.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Reinhart called Kaplan over.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
provide as food
From this reading Feed them in right away.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Here are some new items.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
plural of “item” — a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
From this reading "Here are some new items.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reinhart called Kaplan over.
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading "Here are some new items.
above and across; more than
From this reading Reinhart called Kaplan over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reinhart called Kaplan over.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Feed them in right away.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Here are some new items.
express in words
From this reading "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Feed them in right away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
add up in number or quantity
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I want to see if the machines can total them."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'll tell you in a few minutes."
Chapter 2 of The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick holds 454 sentences, grouped into 91 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 454 sentences of The Variable Man, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 454 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 Variable Man by Philip K. Dick on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2271 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32154, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 189 minutes of reading across 455 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Variable Man section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Variable Man 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 Variable Man, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
