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The Wonder Island Boys
The Wonder Island Boys

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Wonder Island Boys is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Roger T. (Roger Thompson) Finlay • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Wonder Island Boys
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"
"Yes; that cry was something like it.
Do you recall the name of the bird, George?"
"It was the Alma Perdita."
"I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Wonder Island Boys

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Wonder Island Boys is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"
/ðə pəˈkjuːljər ˈsɪɡnəlz duː juː rɪˈmɛm.bər ˈheri ˈæftər dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ ðə ˈtreʒər ənd ðə ˈskelətənz ʌv ðə ˈpaɪrəts ɪn ðə keɪv nɪr ðə ˈkætərækt ðæt wiː hɜːrd ðə ˈdoʊlfəl saʊnd ʌv sʌm bɜːrd waɪl ˈɡoʊɪŋ daʊn ðə hɪl/
Line 2
"Yes; that cry was something like it.
/jes ðæt kraɪ wɑːz ˈsʌmθɪŋ laɪk ɪt/
Line 3
Do you recall the name of the bird, George?"
/duː juː ˈriːkɔːl ðə neɪm ʌv ðə bɜːrd dʒɔːrdʒ/
Line 4
"It was the Alma Perdita."
Line 5
"I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"
/aɪ rɪˈmɛm.bər naʊ ɪt miːnz ðə kraɪ ʌv ðə lɔːst soʊl/

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.

Cataract noun US /ˈkætərækt/

an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cave noun US /keɪv/

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discovering verb US /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doleful adjective US /ˈdoʊlfəl/

filled with or evoking sadness

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pirates noun US /ˈpaɪrəts/

plural of “pirate” — someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recall verb US /ˈriːkɔːl/

recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading “Do you recall the name of the bird, George?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signals noun US /ˈsɪɡnəlz/

plural of “signal” — any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skeletons noun US /ˈskelətənz/

plural of “skeleton” — something reduced to its minimal form

From this reading “THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 45

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Alma

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "It was the Alma Perdita."

Pending verification
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
birdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CataractnounUS /ˈkætərækt/

an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cavenounUS /keɪv/

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Yes; that cry was something like it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discoveringverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
dolefuladjectiveUS /ˈdoʊlfəl/

filled with or evoking sadness

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading Do you recall the name of the bird, George?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Yes; that cry was something like it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "Yes; that cry was something like it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading "I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading "I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Do you recall the name of the bird, George?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PECULIARadjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Perdita

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "It was the Alma Perdita."

Pending verification
piratesnounUS /ˈpaɪrəts/

plural of “pirate” — someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recallverbUS /ˈriːkɔːl/

recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading Do you recall the name of the bird, George?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora curated lexicon
SIGNALSnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəlz/

plural of “signal” — any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skeletonsnounUS /ˈskelətənz/

plural of “skeleton” — something reduced to its minimal form

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading "Yes; that cry was something like it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SoulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading "I remember, now; it means the 'Cry of the Lost Soul.'"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
treasurenounUS /ˈtreʒər/

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Yes; that cry was something like it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes; that cry was something like it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE PECULIAR SIGNALS "Do you remember, Harry, after discovering the treasure and the skeletons of the pirates in the cave near the Cataract, that we heard the doleful sound of some bird while going down the hill?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The Wonder Island Boys by Roger T. (Roger Thompson) Finlay holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 Wonder Island Boys contain?

Chapter 2 holds 139 sentences of The Wonder Island Boys, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Wonder Island Boys by Roger T. (Roger Thompson) Finlay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 Wonder Island Boys?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 Wonder Island Boys

Common questions about reading The Wonder Island Boys by Roger T. (Roger Thompson) Finlay on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Wonder Island Boys?

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

Which edition of The Wonder Island Boys is used?

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

How long does The Wonder Island Boys take to read?

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

How to read The Wonder Island Boys section by section

How to work through The Wonder Island Boys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Wonder Island Boys

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wonder Island Boys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Wonder Island Boys, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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