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Air Monster
Air Monster

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Air Monster is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edwin, active Green • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Air Monster
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.
He had reached Bellevue safely.
He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.
The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.
One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.
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.

Air Monster

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Air Monster is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.
Line 2
He had reached Bellevue safely.
Line 3
He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.
/hiː wɑːz ˈiːvɪn ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə plænt ʌv ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈerweɪz ækˈseptɪd æz ə ˈdʒɜːrmən səˈvɪljən əbˈzɜːrvər/
Line 4
The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.
/ðə ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti fɔːr hɪm tuː rek ðə ɡəˈlaɪəθ maɪt ˈprezənt ˌɪtˈself æt ˈeni ˈmoʊmənt bʌt tuː ˈmaɪti ɪˈmoʊʃənəl ˈfɔːrsɪz wɜːr æt wɜːrk/
Line 5
One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.
/wʌn wɑːz hɪz ɪnˈhɪrənt lʌv fɔːr ˈeniθɪŋ ˈmænmeɪd ðæt kʊd ˈkɑːŋkər ðə ˈeləmənts/

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.

Airways noun US /ˈerweɪz/

plural of “airway” — a duct that provides ventilation (as in mines)

From this reading “He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alias noun US /ˈeɪliəs/

a name that has been assumed temporarily

From this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
civilian noun US /səˈvɪljən/

a nonmilitary citizen

From this reading “He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conflicting adjective US /kənˈflɪktɪŋ/

in disagreement

From this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Goliath noun US /ɡəˈlaɪəθ/

(Old Testament) a giant Philistine warrior who was slain by David with a slingshot

From this reading “The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Herman noun US /ˈhɜːrmən/

United States jazz musician and bandleader (1913-1987)

From this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inherent adjective US /ɪnˈhɪrənt/

existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

From this reading “One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
man-made adjective US /ˈmænmeɪd/

not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially

From this reading “One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

conflicting emotions adjective + noun counted as “conflicting emotion”

In this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

680 times in 426,211 chapters
secret police noun + noun

a police force that operates in secrecy (usually against persons suspected of treason or sedition)

In this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

299 times in 426,211 chapters
preparing for verb + particle counted as “prepare for”

prepare mentally or emotionally for something unpleasant

In this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

9,510 times in 426,211 chapters
any moment adjective + noun

In this reading “The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.”

9,343 times in 426,211 chapters
for supper preposition + noun

In this reading “Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.”

6,081 times in 426,211 chapters

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 He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AirwaysnounUS /ˈerweɪz/

plural of “airway” — a duct that provides ventilation (as in mines)

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aliasnounUS /ˈeɪliəs/

a name that has been assumed temporarily

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora curated lexicon
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Bellevue

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

From this reading He had reached Bellevue safely.

Pending verification
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Blatz

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Pending verification
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
civiliannounUS /səˈvɪljən/

a nonmilitary citizen

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conflictingadjectiveUS /kənˈflɪktɪŋ/

in disagreement

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conquerverbUS /ˈkɑːŋkər/

bring under control by force or authority

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
elementsnounUS /ˈeləmənts/

violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
emotionaladjectiveUS /ɪˈmoʊʃənəl/

determined or actuated by emotion rather than reason

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
emotionsnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃənz/

plural of “emotion” — any strong feeling

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
forcesnounUS /ˈfɔːrsɪz/

plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GoliathnounUS /ɡəˈlaɪəθ/

(Old Testament) a giant Philistine warrior who was slain by David with a slingshot

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had reached Bellevue safely.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HermannounUS /ˈhɜːrmən/

United States jazz musician and bandleader (1913-1987)

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inherentadjectiveUS /ɪnˈhɪrənt/

existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Larko

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Pending verification
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lieut

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Pending verification
lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
man-madeadjectiveUS /ˈmænmeɪd/

not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MovesnounUS /muːvz/

plural of “move” — the act of deciding to do something

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NationaladjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
observernounUS /əbˈzɜːrvər/

a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One was his inherent love for anything man-made that could conquer the elements.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
opportunitynounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plantverbUS /plænt/

put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground

From this reading He was even inside the plant of the National Airways, accepted as a German civilian observer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preparingverbUS /priˈperɪŋ/

-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading He had reached Bellevue safely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rubanian

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Pending verification
safelyadverbUS /ˈseɪfli/

with safety; in a safe manner

From this reading He had reached Bellevue safely.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora curated lexicon
SergenounUS /sɜːrdʒ/

a twilled woolen fabric

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tornadjectiveUS /tɔːrn/

having edges that are jagged from injury

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Mysterious Moves When Herman Blatz, alias Lieut. Serge Larko of the Rubanian secret police, was alone in his room late that afternoon preparing for supper, he was torn between conflicting emotions.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wrecknounUS /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading The opportunity for him to wreck the Goliath might present itself at any moment but two mighty emotional forces were at work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 8 of Air Monster by Edwin, active Green holds 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 8 of Air Monster contain?

Chapter 8 holds 189 sentences of Air Monster, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Air Monster by Edwin, active Green exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 8 of Air Monster?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Air Monster

Common questions about reading Air Monster by Edwin, active Green on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Air Monster?

Yes. All 2958 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55965 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Air Monster is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55965, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Air Monster take to read?

About 246 minutes of reading across 592 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Air Monster section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Air Monster 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 Air Monster

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

Goldsmith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Air Monster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Publishing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Air Monster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Air Monster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lights
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Air Monster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.