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Years of Plenty
Years of Plenty

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Years of Plenty is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Years of Plenty
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.
For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.
Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.
There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.
Martin never forgot that struggle.
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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.

Years of Plenty

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Years of Plenty is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.
/skuːl laɪf ɪz ˈlaɪəbəl tuː ə ˈklɪrli mɑːrkt daɪˈkɑːtəmi ðer ɪz ə wɜːrld ʌv ɡeɪmz ənd ə wɜːrld ʌv wɜːrk/
Line 2
For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.
/fɔːr ˈmɑːrtən boʊθ hæd ðer ˈpleʒər boʊθ ðer məˈnɑːtəni/
Line 3
Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.
/ˈfʊtbɔːl fɔːr ˈɪnstəns dɪˈstɪŋktli əˈfɔːrdəd ˈmoʊmənts/
Line 4
There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.
Line 5
Martin never forgot that struggle.
/ˈmɑːrtən ˈnevər fərˈɡɑːt ðæt ˈstrʌɡəl/

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.

afforded verb US /əˈfɔːrdəd/

past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading “Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.”

consummate verb US /ˈkɑːnsəmət/

fulfill sexually

From this reading “There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.”

dichotomy noun US /daɪˈkɑːtəmi/

being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses

From this reading “School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.”

Football noun US /ˈfʊtbɔːl/

any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal

From this reading “Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.”

league noun US /liːɡ/

an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members

From this reading “There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.”

liable adjective US /ˈlaɪəbəl/

at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant

From this reading “School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.”

monotony noun US /məˈnɑːtəni/

the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety

From this reading “For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.”

seventy adjective US /ˈsevənti/

being ten more than sixty

From this reading “There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.”

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.

clearly marked adverb + adjective

In this reading “School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.”

for instance preposition + noun

as an example

In this reading “Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.”

released from verb + particle counted as “release from”

In this reading “There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.”

All words in this reading · 48

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 School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

affordedverbUS /əˈfɔːrdəd/

past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

Ashminster

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

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

consummateverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəmət/

fulfill sexually

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

dichotomynounUS /daɪˈkɑːtəmi/

being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

distinctlyadverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋktli/

clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment

From this reading Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.

FootballnounUS /ˈfʊtbɔːl/

any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal

From this reading Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading Martin never forgot that struggle.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

gamesnounUS /ɡeɪmz/

plural of “game” — a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

instancenounUS /ˈɪnstəns/

an occurrence of something

From this reading Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

leaguenounUS /liːɡ/

an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

liableadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪəbəl/

at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

MartinnounUS /ˈmɑːrtən/

French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

matchverbUS /mætʃ/

be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading Football, for instance, distinctly afforded moments.

monotonynounUS /məˈnɑːtəni/

the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Martin never forgot that struggle.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

releasedverbUS /riˈliːst/

past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

rivalverbUS /ˈraɪvəl/

be equal to in quality or ability

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

SchoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

seventyadjectiveUS /ˈsevənti/

being ten more than sixty

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading Martin never forgot that struggle.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Martin never forgot that struggle.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading For Martin both had their pleasure, both their monotony.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There were seventy minutes of consummate joy while the school, released from the round of "league" games, watched the match with their greatest rival, Ashminster.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading School life is liable to a clearly marked dichotomy; there is a world of games and a world of work.

Chapter 2 of Years of Plenty by Ivor John Carnegie Brown holds 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Years of Plenty contain?

Chapter 2 holds 396 sentences of Years of Plenty, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Years of Plenty by Ivor John Carnegie Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Years of Plenty?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 Years of Plenty

Common questions about reading Years of Plenty by Ivor John Carnegie Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Years of Plenty?

Yes. All 4784 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33096 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Years of Plenty is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33096, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Years of Plenty take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Years of Plenty section by section

How to work through Years of Plenty section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Years of Plenty 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 Years of Plenty

Words and structures a reader meets early in Years of Plenty, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wealth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Years of Plenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Youth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Years of Plenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Years of Plenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Decently
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Years of Plenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.