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Turns About Town
Turns About Town

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Turns About Town is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Turns About Town
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?
Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.
What's your particular line?
Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?
The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.
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.

Turns About Town

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Turns About Town is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?
/ə ˈhjuːmərəst ˈmɪsfɪts æt ə ˈmɜːrdər ˈtraɪəl ɑːr juː ɪn ɑːn ðə ɡreɪt kraɪm weɪv ˈbrʌðər/
Line 2
Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.
/ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈevribɑːdi ɪz aɪ ɡes ɪn wʌn weɪ ɔːr əˈnʌðər/
Line 3
What's your particular line?
Line 4
Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?
/ˈmɜːrdərər ˈbændət ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ ˈmɔːrtəli ˈwuːndɪd ˈɪnəsənt ˈbaɪstændər ˈdʒʊrər ˈwɪtnəs ɔːr ˈvɪktəm/
Line 5
The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

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.

bandit noun US /ˈbændət/

an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band

From this reading “Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?”

burglar noun US /ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ/

A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.

From this reading “Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?”

bystander noun US /ˈbaɪstændər/

a nonparticipant spectator

From this reading “Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?”

humorist noun US /ˈhjuːmərəst/

someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way

From this reading “A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?”

juror noun US /ˈdʒʊrər/

someone who serves (or waits to be called to serve) on a jury

From this reading “Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?”

misfits noun US /ˈmɪsfɪts/

plural of “misfit” — someone unable to adapt to their circumstances

From this reading “A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?”

mortally adverb US /ˈmɔːrtəli/

in such a manner that death ensues (also in reference to hatred, jealousy, fear, etc.)

From this reading “Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?”

Murderer noun US /ˈmɜːrdərər/

a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)

From this reading “Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

MURDER TRIAL verb + noun

In this reading “A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?”

All words in this reading · 51

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 A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

AlmostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

awhileadverbUS /əˈwaɪl/

for a short time

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

banditnounUS /ˈbændət/

an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

blackjacked

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

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

burglarnounUS /ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ/

A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

bystandernounUS /ˈbaɪstændər/

a nonparticipant spectator

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

CrimenounUS /kraɪm/

(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

getsnounUS /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

guessverbUS /ɡes/

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

HUMORISTnounUS /ˈhjuːmərəst/

someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

jurornounUS /ˈdʒʊrər/

someone who serves (or waits to be called to serve) on a jury

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading What's your particular line?

MISFITSnounUS /ˈmɪsfɪts/

plural of “misfit” — someone unable to adapt to their circumstances

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

mortallyadverbUS /ˈmɔːrtəli/

in such a manner that death ensues (also in reference to hatred, jealousy, fear, etc.)

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

MURDERverbUS /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

MurderernounUS /ˈmɜːrdərər/

a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading What's your particular line?

policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading The police are in on it, too; every once in awhile one of them gets blackjacked, or something like that.

TRIALnounUS /ˈtraɪəl/

the act of testing something

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

victimnounUS /ˈvɪktəm/

an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

WavenounUS /weɪv/

one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Almost everybody is, I guess, in one way or another.

What's

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

From this reading What's your particular line?

witnessnounUS /ˈwɪtnəs/

someone who sees an event and reports what happened

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

woundednounUS /ˈwuːndɪd/

people who are wounded

From this reading Murderer, bandit, burglar, mortally wounded innocent bystander, juror, witness, or victim?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A HUMORIST MISFITS AT A MURDER TRIAL Are you in on the great Crime Wave, brother?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading What's your particular line?

Chapter 2 of Turns About Town by Robert Cortes Holliday holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Turns About Town contain?

Chapter 2 holds 174 sentences of Turns About Town, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Turns About Town by Robert Cortes Holliday exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Turns About Town?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 Turns About Town

Common questions about reading Turns About Town by Robert Cortes Holliday on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Turns About Town?

Yes. All 3890 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36085 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Turns About Town is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36085, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Turns About Town take to read?

About 324 minutes of reading across 778 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Turns About Town section by section

How to work through Turns About Town section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of Turns About Town 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 Turns About Town

Words and structures a reader meets early in Turns About Town, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Printed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Turns About Town; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
United
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Turns About Town; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
States
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Turns About Town; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Turns About Town; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.