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Tom Swift in Captivity
Tom Swift in Captivity

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Tom Swift in Captivity is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tom Swift in Captivity
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TOM WILL GO "Jove!
That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.
"It is interesting," replied the circus man.
"At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.
But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.
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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.

Tom Swift in Captivity

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Tom Swift in Captivity is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TOM WILL GO "Jove!
Line 2
That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.
Line 3
"It is interesting," replied the circus man.
/ɪt ɪz ˈɪntrəstɪŋ rɪˈplaɪd ðə ˈsɜːrkəs mæn/
Line 4
"At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.
/æt liːst aɪ faʊnd ɪt soʊ wen aɪ fɜːrst ˈlɪsənd tuː wʌn ʌv maɪ men tel ɪt/
Line 5
But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.
/bʌt ˈweðər ɪt ɪz ˈpɑːsəbəl tuː ɡet tuː ˈdʒaɪənt lænd ənd wʌt ɪz mɔːr brɪŋ əˈweɪ sʌm ʌv ðə bɪɡ men ɪz ˈsʌmθɪŋ aɪ liːv tuː juː tɑːm swɪft/

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.

circus noun US /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading “"It is interesting," replied the circus man.”

comfortably adverb US /ˈkʌmfərtəbli/

in mental comfort; without stress

From this reading “That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.”

giant noun US /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading “But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.”

interesting adjective US /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading “That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.”

listened verb US /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading “"At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.”

settled adjective US /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading “That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.”

sounds noun US /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading “That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.”

Swift adjective US /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading “But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.”

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading "It is interesting," replied the circus man.

comfortablyadverbUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbli/

in mental comfort; without stress

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

giantnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

GOverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading TOM WILL GO "Jove!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is interesting," replied the circus man.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It is interesting," replied the circus man.

Jovenoun

(Roman mythology) supreme god of Romans; counterpart of Greek Zeus

From this reading TOM WILL GO "Jove!

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "It is interesting," replied the circus man.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

Ned

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

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "It is interesting," replied the circus man.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

SwiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled himself comfortably in his chair.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "It is interesting," replied the circus man.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

TOMnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading TOM WILL GO "Jove!

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "At least I found it so when I first listened to one of my men tell it.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

WILLmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading TOM WILL GO "Jove!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But whether it is possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift.

Chapter 2 of Tom Swift in Captivity by Victor Appleton holds 99 sentences, grouped into 20 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Tom Swift in Captivity contain?

Chapter 2 holds 99 sentences of Tom Swift in Captivity, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Tom Swift in Captivity by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 99 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Tom Swift in Captivity?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Tom Swift in Captivity

Common questions about reading Tom Swift in Captivity by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom Swift in Captivity?

Yes. All 2814 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4608 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Swift in Captivity is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4608, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Swift in Captivity take to read?

About 234 minutes of reading across 563 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom Swift in Captivity section by section

How to work through Tom Swift in Captivity section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Tom Swift in Captivity to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Tom Swift in Captivity

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Swift in Captivity, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Without
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift in Captivity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Followed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift in Captivity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Damon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift in Captivity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Toward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Swift in Captivity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.