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The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) is here in full — 355 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This is the present state of parties.
They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."
The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.
They are hot, and crowded, and glaring.
There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) is here in full — 355 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This is the present state of parties.
/ðɪs ɪz ðə ˈprezənt steɪt ʌv ˈpɑːrtiz/
Line 2
They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."
/ðeɪ ɑːr ˈwaɪldli ekˈstrævəɡənt fʊl ʌv ˈsensləs dɪˈspleɪ ðeɪ ɑːr əˈvɔɪdɪd baɪ ðə ˈplezənt ənd ˌɪnˈtelədʒənt ənd swɔːrm wɪð ˈrekləs ˈredʒəmənts ʌv braʊnz men/
Line 3
The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.
/ðə endz ʌv ðə ɜːrθ kənˈtrɪbjuːt ðer ˈtʃɔɪsəst ˈprɑːdəkts tuː ðə ˈsʌpər ənd ðer ɪz ˈevriθɪŋ ðæt welθ kæn ˈpɜːrtʃəs ənd ɔːl ðə ˈspeɪʃəs ˈsplen.dər ðæt ˈθɜːrdiː fiːt frʌnt kæn əˈfɔːrd/
Line 4
They are hot, and crowded, and glaring.
/ðeɪ ɑːr hɑːt ənd ˈkraʊdəd ənd ˈɡlerɪŋ/
Line 5
There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

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.

Brown's noun US /braʊnz/

possessive form of “brown” — an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading “They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."”

choicest adjective US /ˈtʃɔɪsəst/

superlative of “choice” — of superior grade

From this reading “The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.”

contribute verb US /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/

bestow a quality on

From this reading “The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.”

platitude noun US /ˈplætɪtuːd/

a trite or obvious remark

From this reading “There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.”

products noun US /ˈprɑːdəkts/

plural of “product” — commodities offered for sale

From this reading “The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.”

regiments noun US /ˈredʒəmənts/

plural of “regiment” — army unit smaller than a division

From this reading “They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."”

swarm noun US /swɔːrm/

a moving crowd

From this reading “They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."”

venomous adjective US /ˈvenəməs/

extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom

From this reading “There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

affordverbUS /əˈfɔːrd/

be able to spare or give up

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/

past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

Brown'snounUS /braʊnz/

possessive form of “brown” — an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

choicestadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɔɪsəst/

superlative of “choice” — of superior grade

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

contributeverbUS /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/

bestow a quality on

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

crowdedadjectiveUS /ˈkraʊdəd/

overfilled or compacted or concentrated

From this reading They are hot, and crowded, and glaring.

displaynounUS /dɪˈspleɪ/

something intended to communicate a particular impression

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

endsnounUS /endz/

plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

extravagantadjectiveUS /ekˈstrævəɡənt/

unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

glaringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlerɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading They are hot, and crowded, and glaring.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading They are hot, and crowded, and glaring.

intelligentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒənt/

having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

mortifyingadjective

causing to feel shame or chagrin or vexation

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

partiesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtiz/

plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

platitudenounUS /ˈplætɪtuːd/

a trite or obvious remark

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

productsnounUS /ˈprɑːdəkts/

plural of “product” — commodities offered for sale

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

purchasenounUS /ˈpɜːrtʃəs/

the acquisition of something for payment

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

recklessadjectiveUS /ˈrekləs/

marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

regimentsnounUS /ˈredʒəmənts/

plural of “regiment” — army unit smaller than a division

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

scandalnounUS /ˈskændəl/

disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

senselessadjectiveUS /ˈsensləs/

not marked by the use of reason

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

sensibleadjectiveUS /ˈsensəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

spaciousadjectiveUS /ˈspeɪʃəs/

very large in expanse or scope

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

splendornounUS /ˈsplen.dər/

Magnificent and splendid appearance; grandeur and brilliance.

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

swarmnounUS /swɔːrm/

a moving crowd

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This is the present state of parties.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

venomousadjectiveUS /ˈvenəməs/

extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

wealthnounUS /welθ/

the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money

From this reading The ends of the earth contribute their choicest products to the supper, and there is everything that wealth can purchase, and all the spacious splendor that thirty feet front can afford.

wearyverbUS /ˈwɪri/

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/

to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They are wildly extravagant, full of senseless display; they are avoided by the pleasant and intelligent, and swarm with reckless regiments of "Brown's men."

wittyadjectiveUS /ˈwɪti/

combining clever conception and facetious expression

From this reading There is a little weak scandal, venomous, not witty, and a stream of weary platitude, mortifying to every sensible person.

Chapter 2 of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) by Marshall P. (Marshall Pinckney) [Editor] Wilder holds 355 sentences, grouped into 71 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 Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) contain?

Chapter 2 holds 355 sentences of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.), unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) by Marshall P. (Marshall Pinckney) [Editor] Wilder exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 355 sentences, grouped into 71 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 Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)?

Work through the 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 71 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 Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)

Common questions about reading The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) by Marshall P. (Marshall Pinckney) [Editor] Wilder on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)?

Yes. All 2308 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18465 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18465, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) take to read?

About 192 minutes of reading across 462 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) section by section

How to work through The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wagnalls
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Decided
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.