Chapter 12 of Astounding Stories, May, 1931 is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Astounding Stories, May, 1931 is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered. It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me. "Migul, in the other cage, was here," Tina added. "But it's gone now. Exactly where was it, I wonder?"
Chapter 12 of Astounding Stories, May, 1931 is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading “It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.”
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading “It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.”
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading “It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.”
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading “It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.”
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading “_The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.”
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading “_The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.”
visual imagery
From this reading “It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.”
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading “It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading "Migul, in the other cage, was here," Tina added.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
anew
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But it's gone now.
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Exactly where was it, I wonder?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "But it's gone now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Migul, in the other cage, was here," Tina added.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But it's gone now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Migul, in the other cage, was here," Tina added.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "But it's gone now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "Migul, in the other cage, was here," Tina added.
visual imagery
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
at the time that
From this reading It was that night in 1777 when she, Larry and Harl stepped from their Time-traveling cage; and again I am picturing the events as Larry afterward described them to me.
in or at the place that
From this reading Exactly where was it, I wonder?"
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading _The Murder of Major Atwood_ "We are late," Tina whispered.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Exactly where was it, I wonder?"
Chapter 12 of Astounding Stories, May, 1931 by Various holds 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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 12 holds 191 sentences of Astounding Stories, May, 1931, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Astounding Stories, May, 1931 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 12 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 Astounding Stories, May, 1931 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6181 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30532 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30532, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 515 minutes of reading across 1237 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Astounding Stories, May, 1931 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Astounding Stories, May, 1931 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 Astounding Stories, May, 1931, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
