Chapter 8 of Beyond the Vanishing Point is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Beyond the Vanishing Point is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room. I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace. The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's. I could see the distant monster shape of one. He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
Chapter 8 of Beyond the Vanishing Point is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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 suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading “I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.”
comparative of “bright” — emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading “The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.”
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading “I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.”
not accessible to view
From this reading “I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.”
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading “I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.”
an arrangement of points or particles or objects in a regular periodic pattern in 2 or 3 dimensions
From this reading “I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.”
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading “I could see the distant monster shape of one.”
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading “He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.”
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.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
comparative of “bright” — emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
not accessible to view
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could see the distant monster shape of one.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading I could see the distant monster shape of one.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
an arrangement of points or particles or objects in a regular periodic pattern in 2 or 3 dimensions
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading I could see the distant monster shape of one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I could see the distant monster shape of one.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I could see the distant monster shape of one.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading I could see the distant monster shape of one.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I lay concealed and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The light outside was brighter; I heard voices--Polter's and another man's.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant palace.
Chapter 8 of Beyond the Vanishing Point by Ray Cummings holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 8 holds 220 sentences of Beyond the Vanishing Point, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Beyond the Vanishing Point by Ray Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 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.
Common questions about reading Beyond the Vanishing Point by Ray Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2928 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22527 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22527, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 244 minutes of reading across 586 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Beyond the Vanishing Point section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Beyond the Vanishing Point 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 Beyond the Vanishing Point, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
