Chapter 8 of A Viking of the Sky is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of A Viking of the Sky is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling. Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle. But stuck she stayed. And the interminable circling kept on. It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
Chapter 8 of A Viking of the Sky is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 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.
-ing form of “circle” — travel around something
From this reading “RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.”
with great urgency
From this reading “Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.”
an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
From this reading “Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.”
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading “It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.”
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading “And the interminable circling kept on.”
-ing form of “loose” — grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading “Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.”
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading “It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.”
place limits on (extent or amount or access)
From this reading “Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.”
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.
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But stuck she stayed.
-ing form of “circle” — travel around something
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
with great urgency
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading And the interminable circling kept on.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
-ing form of “loose” — grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And the interminable circling kept on.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But stuck she stayed.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But stuck she stayed.
caught or fixed
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
place limits on (extent or amount or access)
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
hard to endure
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
not known
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
From this reading It seemed hours that they rode thus, using up their precious gas in this ridiculous, passengerless flight.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading RIVER OF THE WIND Maben kept circling.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Beside him, Hal worked desperately, trying every known and unknown device for loosing a stuck throttle.
Chapter 8 of A Viking of the Sky by Hugh McAlister holds 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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.
Chapter 8 holds 157 sentences of A Viking of the Sky, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of A Viking of the Sky by Hugh McAlister exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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 8 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 A Viking of the Sky by Hugh McAlister on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2894 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45447 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45447, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 241 minutes of reading across 579 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Viking of the Sky section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of A Viking of the Sky 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 A Viking of the Sky, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
