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Twos and Threes
Twos and Threes

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Twos and Threes is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By G. B. (Gladys Bronwyn) Stern • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Twos and Threes
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
London NISBET & CO.
LTD.
22 BERNERS STREET, W.
“That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”
Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!
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.

Twos and Threes

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Twos and Threes is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
London NISBET & CO.
Line 2
LTD.
Line 3
22 BERNERS STREET, W.
Line 4
“That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”
Line 5
Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

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.

Baldwin noun US /ˈbɔːldwən/

United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)

From this reading ““That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
depraved adjective US /diˈpreɪvd/

deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good

From this reading “Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Heron noun US /ˈherən/

Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

From this reading “Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
juvenile adjective US /ˈdʒuːvənəl/

of or relating to or characteristic of or appropriate for children or young people

From this reading “Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lazily adverb US /ˈlæzəli/

in a slow and lazy manner

From this reading “Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nephew's noun US /ˈnefjuːz/

possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nietzsche noun US /ˈniːtʃi/

influential German philosopher remembered for his concept of the superman and for his rejection of Christian values; considered, along with Kierkegaard, to be a founder of existentialism (1844-1900)

From this reading “Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ponderous adjective US /ˈpɑːndərəs/

slow and laborious because of weight

From this reading “Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

entered the library verb + article + noun counted as “enter … library”

In this reading ““That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.””

494 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 49

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.

22

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

From this reading 22 BERNERS STREET, W.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BaldwinnounUS /ˈbɔːldwən/

United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BERNERS

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

From this reading 22 BERNERS STREET, W.

Pending verification
Carr

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Pending verification
COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading London NISBET & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dangerousadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
depravedadjectiveUS /diˈpreɪvd/

deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

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

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HeronnounUS /ˈherən/

Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
juvenileadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːvənəl/

of or relating to or characteristic of or appropriate for children or young people

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
laidadjectiveUS /leɪd/

set down according to a plan

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lazilyadverbUS /ˈlæzəli/

in a slow and lazy manner

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading London NISBET & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LTD

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

From this reading LTD.

Pending verification
nephew'snounUS /ˈnefjuːz/

possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NietzschenounUS /ˈniːtʃi/

influential German philosopher remembered for his concept of the superman and for his rejection of Christian values; considered, along with Kierkegaard, to be a founder of existentialism (1844-1900)

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NISBET

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

From this reading London NISBET & CO.

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/

slow and laborious because of weight

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remarkedverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

past form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Spake

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Pending verification
STREETnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading 22 BERNERS STREET, W.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StuartnounUS /ˈstuːərt/

United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
That's

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Pending verification
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncle-by-marriage

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

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

Pending verification
unperceivedadjective

not perceived or commented on

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
volumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading 22 BERNERS STREET, W.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
we're

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

From this reading Stuart Heron laid down the ponderous volume of Nietzsche, and smiled up lazily at his juvenile uncle-by-marriage: “Oh, we’re a depraved family!

Pending verification
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Zarathustranoun

Persian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism (circa 628-551 BC)

From this reading “That’s a dangerous fellow, Stuart,” remarked Baldwin Carr, who had unperceived entered the library, and, over his nephew’s shoulder, read the title: “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Twos and Threes by G. B. (Gladys Bronwyn) Stern holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 1 of Twos and Threes contain?

Chapter 1 holds 209 sentences of Twos and Threes, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Twos and Threes by G. B. (Gladys Bronwyn) Stern exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 1 of Twos and Threes?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Twos and Threes

Common questions about reading Twos and Threes by G. B. (Gladys Bronwyn) Stern on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Twos and Threes?

Yes. All 6687 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46049 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Twos and Threes is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46049, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Twos and Threes take to read?

About 557 minutes of reading across 1338 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Twos and Threes section by section

How to work through Twos and Threes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of Twos and Threes 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 Twos and Threes

Words and structures a reader meets early in Twos and Threes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twos and Threes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nisbet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twos and Threes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Berners
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twos and Threes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twos and Threes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.