Chapter 2 of Vera, the Medium is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Vera, the Medium is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Fix it?” said the reporter. “Not with me, you can’t.” He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how tall he was.
Chapter 2 of Vera, the Medium is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
the act of excluding someone by a negative vote or veto
From this reading “He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.”
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading “He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.”
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading ““Fix it?” said the reporter.”
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading “He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.”
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading “He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.”
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading ““Fix it?” said the reporter.”
past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading “He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.”
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading “For the first time they saw how tall he was.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
the act of excluding someone by a negative vote or veto
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Not with me, you can’t.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “Fix it?” said the reporter.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
set up or found
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Fix it?” said the reporter.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Not with me, you can’t.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Not with me, you can’t.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading “Fix it?” said the reporter.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Fix it?” said the reporter.
cut with a saw
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Fix it?” said the reporter.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the first time they saw how tall he was.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Not with me, you can’t.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Not with me, you can’t.”
Chapter 2 of Vera, the Medium by Richard Harding Davis holds 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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.
Chapter 2 holds 217 sentences of Vera, the Medium, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Vera, the Medium by Richard Harding Davis exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 Vera, the Medium by Richard Harding Davis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2664 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1843 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1843, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 222 minutes of reading across 533 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vera, the Medium section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Vera, the Medium 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 Vera, the Medium, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
