Chapter 2 of Asteroid of Fear is here in full — 572 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Asteroid of Fear is here in full — 572 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night. For a moment he was elated. He woke up his family by shouting: "Look! The bums stayed away! They didn't come!
Chapter 2 of Asteroid of Fear is here in full — 572 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/114 · 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.
plural of “bum” — a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
From this reading “The bums stayed away!”
exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
From this reading “For a moment he was elated.”
a social unit living together
From this reading “He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!”
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading “He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!”
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “The bums stayed away!”
rejecting any belief in gods
From this reading “John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.”
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading “He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!”
destroyed in an accident
From this reading “John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.”
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.
cause to become awake or conscious
In this reading “He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!”
In this reading “John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.”
temporarily
In this reading “For a moment he was elated.”
stay clear of, avoid
In this reading “The bums stayed away!”
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 For a moment he was elated.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The bums stayed away!
the past participle of “be”
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
plural of “bum” — a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
From this reading The bums stayed away!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They didn't come!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They didn't come!
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
From this reading For a moment he was elated.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
a social unit living together
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment he was elated.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment he was elated.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
cut with a saw
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The bums stayed away!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They didn't come!
rejecting any belief in gods
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
at the time that
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading He woke up his family by shouting: "Look!
destroyed in an accident
From this reading John Endlich was at first almost unbelieving when he saw that nothing had been wrecked during the night.
Chapter 2 of Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun holds 572 sentences, grouped into 115 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 572 sentences of Asteroid of Fear, unabridged, divided into 115 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 572 sentences, grouped into 115 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 115 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 115 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 Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1153 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32780 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32780, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 96 minutes of reading across 231 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Asteroid of Fear section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Asteroid of Fear 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 Asteroid of Fear, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
