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A Gift from Earth
A Gift from Earth

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Gift from Earth is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Gift from Earth
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
"It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
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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.

A Gift from Earth

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Gift from Earth is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
Line 2
"It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
Line 3
Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
Line 4
Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
Line 5
At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

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.

favor verb US /ˈfeɪvər/

promote over another

From this reading “Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.”

freight noun US /freɪt/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading “Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?”

outrage noun US /ˈaʊtreɪdʒ/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading “"It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"”

Personally adverb US /ˈpɜːrsənəli/

as yourself

From this reading “Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.”

Pottery noun US /ˈpɑːtəri/

ceramic ware made from clay and baked in a kiln

From this reading “At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.”

transportation noun US /ˌtrænspərˈteɪʃən/

a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods

From this reading “Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?”

uneasily adverb US /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading “Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.”

youngest adjective US /ˈjʌŋɡəst/

superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading “Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.”

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.

favor of verb + particle

In this reading “Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

aidnounUS /eɪd/

a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

brothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

comfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

costnounUS /kɑːst/

the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

dotagenoun

mental infirmity as a consequence of old age; sometimes shown by foolish infatuations

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

Earthmen

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

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

ExceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

favorverbUS /ˈfeɪvər/

promote over another

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

freightnounUS /freɪt/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

how

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

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

Kalrab

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

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

Koltan

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

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

Masur

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

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

outragenounUS /ˈaʊtreɪdʒ/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

PersonallyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrsənəli/

as yourself

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

PotterynounUS /ˈpɑːtəri/

ceramic ware made from clay and baked in a kiln

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

shiningadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/

marked by exceptional merit

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

stirredadjectiveUS /stɜːrd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

Thorabians

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

From this reading "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

transportationnounUS /ˌtrænspərˈteɪʃən/

a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

uneasilyadverbUS /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?

youngestadjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡəst/

superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.

Zotul

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

From this reading Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.

Zur

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

From this reading Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.

Chapter 1 of A Gift from Earth by Manly Banister holds 400 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 1 of A Gift from Earth contain?

Chapter 1 holds 400 sentences of A Gift from Earth, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Gift from Earth by Manly Banister exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 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 1 of A Gift from Earth?

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 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 A Gift from Earth

Common questions about reading A Gift from Earth by Manly Banister on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Gift from Earth?

Yes. All 400 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51129 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Gift from Earth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51129, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Gift from Earth take to read?

About 33 minutes of reading across 80 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Gift from Earth section by section

How to work through A Gift from Earth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of A Gift from Earth 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 Gift from Earth

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Gift from Earth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Except
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gift from Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transportation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gift from Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Absolutely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gift from Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Freight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gift from Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.