Chapter 1 of Before Egypt is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Before Egypt is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. _It was Mallison's strangest assignment. The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt. That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
Chapter 1 of Before Egypt is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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 duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces)
From this reading “_It was Mallison's strangest assignment.”
a document granting exclusive right to publish and sell literary or musical or artistic work
From this reading “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”
a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
From this reading “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”
systematic investigation to establish facts
From this reading “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”
superlative of “strange” — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “_It was Mallison's strangest assignment.”
remove all or part of one's clothes to show one's body
From this reading “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading “The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.”
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 “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”
In this reading “This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.”
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 This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
surprising greatly
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces)
From this reading _It was Mallison's strangest assignment.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
a document granting exclusive right to publish and sell literary or musical or artistic work
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _It was Mallison's strangest assignment.
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _It was Mallison's strangest assignment.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
restored to a new condition
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
systematic investigation to establish facts
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
superlative of “strange” — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading _It was Mallison's strangest assignment.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading That meant a trip back to Earth so far as Mallison was concerned.
a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
remove all or part of one's clothes to show one's body
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January 1957.
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading The weird little professor wanted to go to Egypt.
Chapter 1 of Before Egypt by Robert Bloch holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 holds 414 sentences of Before Egypt, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Before Egypt by Robert Bloch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 1 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 Before Egypt by Robert Bloch on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1647 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30932 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30932, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 137 minutes of reading across 330 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Before Egypt section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Before Egypt 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 Before Egypt, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
