Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A cityless and countryless world
A cityless and countryless world

Chapter XVIII · Comparison of Our Sex Relations with Yours

Chapter XVIII of A cityless and countryless world, “Comparison of Our Sex Relations with Yours,” is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A cityless and countryless world
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.
I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.
But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.
Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.
Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.
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.

A cityless and countryless world

Chapter XVIII · Comparison of Our Sex Relations with Yours

Chapter XVIII of A cityless and countryless world, “Comparison of Our Sex Relations with Yours,” is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.
Line 2
I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.
/aɪ hæv soʊ fɑːr ˈɔːfərd noʊ ˈkɑːments ɑːn ˈiːðər ˈaʊər ˈpræktəs ʌv ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl ˈfriːdəm ˈsekʃuːəli ɔːr ɑːn jɔːr ˈmerɪdʒ ˈsɪstəm/
Line 3
But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.
/bʌt tuː liːv ɪt wɪˈθaʊt ˈfɜːrðər ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən ənd kəmˈperəsən wʊd biː ə ˈveri ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt əˈkaʊnt/
Line 4
Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.
/let ʌs ˈkloʊsli ənd ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəli ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪt ˈweðər ɪt ɪz jɔːr ɔːr ˈaʊər ˈsɪstəm ʌv seks riˈleɪʃən wɪtʃ ɪz moʊst ˈnɪrli ɪn əˈkɔːrd wɪð ðə noʊn lɔːz ʌv laɪf helθ ənd ˈhæpinəs/
Line 5
Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.
/let ʌs siː wʌt ˈdiːfekts ənd diˈmerəts wiː kæn faɪnd ɪn ˈiːðər ʌv ðem/

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.

comments noun US /ˈkɑːments/

plural of “comment” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading “I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.”

defects noun US /ˈdiːfekts/

plural of “defect” — an imperfection in a bodily system

From this reading “Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.”

demerits noun US /diˈmerəts/

plural of “demerit” — a mark against a person for misconduct or failure; usually given in school or armed forces

From this reading “Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.”

impartially adverb US /ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəli/

in an impartial manner

From this reading “Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.”

incomplete adjective US /ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt/

not complete or total; not completed

From this reading “But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.”

investigate verb US /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪt/

investigate scientifically

From this reading “Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.”

investigation noun US /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/

an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

From this reading “But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.”

sexually adverb US /ˈsekʃuːəli/

with respect to sexuality

From this reading “I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.”

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.

without further preposition + adverb

In this reading “But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.”

accord with verb + particle

In this reading “Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

accordverbUS /əˈkɔːrd/

go together

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

actuallyadverbUS /ˈæktʃuːəli/

in actual fact

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

commentsnounUS /ˈkɑːments/

plural of “comment” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

comparisonnounUS /kəmˈperəsən/

the act of examining resemblances

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

defectsnounUS /ˈdiːfekts/

plural of “defect” — an imperfection in a bodily system

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

demeritsnounUS /diˈmerəts/

plural of “demerit” — a mark against a person for misconduct or failure; usually given in school or armed forces

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

existverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪst/

have an existence, be extant

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

impartiallyadverbUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəli/

in an impartial manner

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

incompleteadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt/

not complete or total; not completed

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

individualadjectiveUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

investigateverbUS /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪt/

investigate scientifically

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

investigationnounUS /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/

an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

lawsnounUS /lɔːz/

the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

marriagenounUS /ˈmerɪdʒ/

the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

MarsnounUS /mɑːrz/

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

Midith

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

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

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

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

offeredverbUS /ˈɔːfərd/

past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

practicenounUS /ˈpræktəs/

a customary way of operation or behavior

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

relationnounUS /riˈleɪʃən/

an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

sexnounUS /seks/

activities associated with sexual intercourse

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

sexuallyadverbUS /ˈsekʃuːəli/

with respect to sexuality

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Let us see what defects and demerits we can find in either of them.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Let us closely and impartially investigate whether it is your or our system of sex relation which is most nearly in accord with the known laws of life, health and happiness.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading But to leave it without further investigation and comparison would be a very incomplete account.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I have so far told you,” continued Mr. Midith, “of our sex relations as they now actually exist on Mars.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I have so far offered no comments on either our practice of individual freedom sexually, or on your marriage system.

Chapter 18 of A cityless and countryless world by Henry Olerich holds 175 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 18 of A cityless and countryless world contain?

Chapter 18 holds 175 sentences of A cityless and countryless world, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of A cityless and countryless world by Henry Olerich exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 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 18 of A cityless and countryless world?

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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 A cityless and countryless world

Common questions about reading A cityless and countryless world by Henry Olerich on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A cityless and countryless world?

Yes. All 5102 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76123 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A cityless and countryless world is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76123, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A cityless and countryless world take to read?

About 425 minutes of reading across 1021 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A cityless and countryless world section by section

How to work through A cityless and countryless world section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of A cityless and countryless world 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 A cityless and countryless world

Words and structures a reader meets early in A cityless and countryless world, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Enclosed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A cityless and countryless world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A cityless and countryless world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Italics
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A cityless and countryless world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Outline
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A cityless and countryless world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.