Chapter 2 of Adaptation is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Adaptation is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People. They are prisoners taken in battle." Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods." "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly. "You will no longer sacrifice prisoners."
Chapter 2 of Adaptation is here in full — 433 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading “They are prisoners taken in battle."”
in an unqualified manner
From this reading “"There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.”
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."”
a title given to rulers or other important people in Asian countries
From this reading “The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.”
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."”
plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading “They are prisoners taken in battle."”
to certain extent or degree
From this reading “The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.”
the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading “"You will no longer sacrifice prisoners."”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading They are prisoners taken in battle."
in an unqualified manner
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They are prisoners taken in battle."
a title given to rulers or other important people in Asian countries
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."
for more time
From this reading "You will no longer sacrifice prisoners."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."
not any; not one
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading They are prisoners taken in battle."
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading "You will no longer sacrifice prisoners."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading They are prisoners taken in battle."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Mynor said, "Their lives please the gods."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Khan said reasonably, "They are not of the People.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "You will no longer sacrifice prisoners."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "There are no gods, as you probably know," Plekhanov said flatly.
Chapter 2 of Adaptation by Mack Reynolds holds 433 sentences, grouped into 87 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 2 holds 433 sentences of Adaptation, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Adaptation by Mack Reynolds exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 433 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 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.
Common questions about reading Adaptation by Mack Reynolds on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2146 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24749 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24749, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 178 minutes of reading across 430 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Adaptation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Adaptation 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 Adaptation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
