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Abbr.
Abbr.

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Abbr. is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Abbr.
Context Illustration Reading 1/93 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Abbr.
_Brevity was the new watchword.
Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.
As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.
Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.
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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.

Abbr.

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Abbr. is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/93 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Abbr.
Line 2
_Brevity was the new watchword.
/ˈbrevəti wɑːz ðə nuː ˈwɑːtʃwɜːrd/
Line 3
Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.
Line 4
As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.
Line 5
Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

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.

Brevity noun US /ˈbrevəti/

the use of brief expressions

colonize verb US /ˈkɑːlənaɪz/

settle as a colony; of countries in the developing world

From this reading “As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.”

habitable adjective US /ˈhæbətəbəl/

fit for habitation

From this reading “As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.”

homeland noun US /ˈhoʊmlænd/

the country where you were born

From this reading “Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.”

mythical adjective US /ˈmɪθəkəl/

based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity

From this reading “Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.”

ramp noun US /ræmp/

an inclined surface connecting two levels

From this reading “Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.”

shuttle verb US /ˈʃʌtəl/

travel back and forth between two points

From this reading “Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.”

watchword noun US /ˈwɑːtʃwɜːrd/

a slogan used to rally support for a cause

From this reading “_Brevity was the new watchword.”

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.

woke up verb + adjective counted as “wake up”

cause to become awake or conscious

In this reading “Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.”

few moments adjective + noun counted as “few moment”

In this reading “Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.”

set foot verb + noun

In this reading “Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

Abbr

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

From this reading Abbr.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

BrevitynounUS /ˈbrevəti/

the use of brief expressions

From this reading _Brevity was the new watchword.

colonizeverbUS /ˈkɑːlənaɪz/

settle as a colony; of countries in the developing world

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

dgstd

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

gazedverbUS /ɡeɪzd/

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

habitableadjectiveUS /ˈhæbətəbəl/

fit for habitation

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

homelandnounUS /ˈhoʊmlænd/

the country where you were born

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

Koenigsburg

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

lonelyadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnli/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

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 As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

lsrcdb

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

mythicaladjectiveUS /ˈmɪθəkəl/

based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading _Brevity was the new watchword.

njyd

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

pilgrimagenounUS /ˈpɪlɡrəmədʒ/

a journey to a sacred place

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

rampnounUS /ræmp/

an inclined surface connecting two levels

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

realizedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

shroudedverbUS /ˈʃraʊdɪd/

past form of “shroud” — cover as if with a shroud

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

shuttleverbUS /ˈʃʌtəl/

travel back and forth between two points

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

SoonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

stht

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Brevity was the new watchword.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

VenusnounUS /ˈviːnəs/

the second nearest planet to the sun

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

Von

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

Vrythg

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people.

Walther

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

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _Brevity was the new watchword.

watchwordnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃwɜːrd/

a slogan used to rally support for a cause

From this reading _Brevity was the new watchword.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

wokeverbUS /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus.

wonnounUS /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

worldsnounUS /wɜːrldz/

plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over.

Chapter 1 of Abbr. by Frank Riley holds 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 Abbr. contain?

Chapter 1 holds 469 sentences of Abbr., unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Abbr. by Frank Riley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 Abbr.?

Work through the 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 94 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 Abbr.

Common questions about reading Abbr. by Frank Riley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Abbr.?

Yes. All 1410 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59728 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Abbr. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #59728, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Abbr. take to read?

About 117 minutes of reading across 282 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Abbr. section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of Abbr. 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 Abbr.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Abbr., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Brevity
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Abbr.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Watchword
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Abbr.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vrythg
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Abbr.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dgstd
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Abbr.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.