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The Young Acrobat of the Great North
The Young Acrobat of the Great North

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Young Acrobat of the Great North
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.
Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.
It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.
The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.
Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.
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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 Young Acrobat of the Great North

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.
/ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪz θriː ˌkjʊriˈɑːsətiz/
Line 2
Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.
Line 3
It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈdɪfəkəlt tuː treɪs ˈeni rɪˈzembləns bɪˈtwiːn hɪm ənd hɪz ˈnefjuː/
Line 4
The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.
/ðə ˈlætər hæd æn ˈoʊ.pən feɪs wɪð ə braɪt əˈtræktɪv ɪkˈspreʃən/
Line 5
Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

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.

attractive adjective US /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading “The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curiosities noun US /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsətiz/

plural of “curiosity” — a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading “INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
introduces verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪz/

third-person singular of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading “INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kit noun US /kɪt/

a case for containing a set of articles

From this reading “Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nephew noun US /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading “It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resemblance noun US /rɪˈzembləns/

similarity in appearance or external or superficial details

From this reading “It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Stephen noun US /ˈstiːvən/

English writer (1832-1904)

From this reading “Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Watson noun US /ˈwɑːtsən/

United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)

From this reading “Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 54

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 Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

Velmora curated lexicon
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cunningadjectiveUS /ˈkʌnɪŋ/

attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CURIOSITIESnounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsətiz/

plural of “curiosity” — a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
habitnounUS /ˈhæbət/

an established custom

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
INTRODUCESverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪz/

third-person singular of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
jutted

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

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

Pending verification
KitnounUS /kɪt/

a case for containing a set of articles

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

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

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nephewnounUS /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nosenounUS /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

Velmora curated lexicon
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
promontorynoun

a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ralph

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

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

Pending verification
resemblancenounUS /rɪˈzembləns/

similarity in appearance or external or superficial details

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sallowadjective

unhealthy looking

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spareverbUS /sper/

refrain from harming

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StephennounUS /ˈstiːvən/

English writer (1832-1904)

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THREEnounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tracenounUS /treɪs/

a just detectable amount

From this reading It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

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 Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WatsonnounUS /ˈwɑːtsən/

United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)

From this reading Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted out like a promontory.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 Young Acrobat of the Great North contain?

Chapter 2 holds 104 sentences of The Young Acrobat of the Great North, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Young Acrobat of the Great North by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 Young Acrobat of the Great North?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 Young Acrobat of the Great North

Common questions about reading The Young Acrobat of the Great North by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Young Acrobat of the Great North?

Yes. All 4237 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22521 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Young Acrobat of the Great North is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22521, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Young Acrobat of the Great North take to read?

About 353 minutes of reading across 848 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Young Acrobat of the Great North section by section

How to work through The Young Acrobat of the Great North 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

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

Vocabulary met early in The Young Acrobat of the Great North

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Young Acrobat of the Great North, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Watson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Acrobat of the Great North; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Acrobat of the Great North; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Excitement
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Acrobat of the Great North; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smyrna
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Acrobat of the Great North; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.