Chapter 3 of Attitude is here in full — 446 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Attitude is here in full — 446 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Little grinned invisibly in the darkness. "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly. It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done." "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose? I'm not too proud to learn."
Chapter 3 of Attitude is here in full — 446 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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 group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit
From this reading “"The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.”
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading “"The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.”
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading “It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.”
an elementary, electrically neutral particle with a very small mass
From this reading “"The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.”
distributed or sold illicitly
From this reading “"The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.”
a practical method or art applied to some particular task
From this reading “"They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?”
plural of “vegan” — a strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products at all
From this reading “"The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.”
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.
In this reading “I'm not too proud to learn."”
In this reading “Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.”
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 "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm not too proud to learn."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.
without being seen
From this reading Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading I'm not too proud to learn."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.
an elementary, electrically neutral particle with a very small mass
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I'm not too proud to learn."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading I'm not too proud to learn."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
distributed or sold illicitly
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
express a supposition
From this reading "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
a practical method or art applied to some particular task
From this reading "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Little grinned invisibly in the darkness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "They didn't give you an idea of their technique, I suppose?
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm not too proud to learn."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading I'm not too proud to learn."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
plural of “vegan” — a strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products at all
From this reading "The Vegans said they smuggled up a complete neutrino assembly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It was taken away from them later, but it gives you an idea of what can be done."
Chapter 3 of Attitude by Hal Clement holds 446 sentences, grouped into 90 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 3 holds 446 sentences of Attitude, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Attitude by Hal Clement exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 446 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 3 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 Attitude by Hal Clement on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1363 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61564 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61564, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 113 minutes of reading across 273 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Attitude section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Attitude 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 Attitude, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
