Chapter 2 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm. Tom Swift did not answer. Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door. Mr. Titus followed. They both saw a strange sight.
Chapter 2 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading “Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.”
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading “Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.”
plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.”
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading “Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.”
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.”
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.”
moving very fast
From this reading “Tom Swift did not answer.”
a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul
From this reading “Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.”
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 They both saw a strange sight.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
react verbally
From this reading Tom Swift did not answer.
the two together, not just one
From this reading They both saw a strange sight.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Tom Swift did not answer.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Mr. Titus followed.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Tom Swift did not answer.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
cut with a saw
From this reading They both saw a strange sight.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading They both saw a strange sight.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading They both saw a strange sight.
moving very fast
From this reading Tom Swift did not answer.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They both saw a strange sight.
a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
male cat
From this reading Tom Swift did not answer.
in the direction of
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran toward the front door.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Explanations "What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.
Chapter 2 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel by Victor Appleton holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 107 sentences of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3230 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #953 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #953, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 269 minutes of reading across 646 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel 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 Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
