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Big Pill
Big Pill

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Big Pill is here in full — 651 sentences across 131 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Big Pill
Context Illustration Reading 1/130 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
_Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.
New.
Untested.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Big Pill

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Big Pill is here in full — 651 sentences across 131 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/130 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.
Line 2
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
Line 3
_Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.
Line 4
New.
/nuː/
Line 5
Untested.
/ənˈtestɪd/

Learner Dictionary

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.

copyright noun US /ˈkɑːpiraɪt/

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.”

Extensive adjective US /ɪkˈstensɪv/

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.”

Planet noun US /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading “This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.”

publication noun US /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/

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.”

renewed adjective US /rɪˈnuːd/

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.”

research noun US /riˈsɜːrtʃ/

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.”

uncover verb US /ənˈkʌvər/

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.”

Untested adjective US /ənˈtestɪd/

not tried or tested by experience

From this reading “Untested.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

any evidence adjective + noun

In this reading “Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.”

produced from verb + particle counted as “produce from”

In this reading “This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.”

All words in this reading · 32

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.

1952

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading _Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

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.

ChildnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading _Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.

copyrightnounUS /ˈkɑːpiraɪt/

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.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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.

etext

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

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.

ExtensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstensɪv/

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.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

H-bombnoun

a nuclear weapon that releases atomic energy by union of light (hydrogen) nuclei at high temperatures to form helium

From this reading _Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading New.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

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.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading _Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _Child, it was, of the now ancient H-bomb.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

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.

PlanetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

publicationnounUS /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/

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.

renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/

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.

researchnounUS /riˈsɜːrtʃ/

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.

SnounUS /es/

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.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

StoriesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

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 Planet Stories September 1952.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

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.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

UnounUS /juː/

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.

uncoververbUS /ənˈkʌvər/

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.

UntestedadjectiveUS /ənˈtestɪd/

not tried or tested by experience

From this reading Untested.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This etext was produced from Planet Stories September 1952.

Chapter 1 of Big Pill by Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun holds 651 sentences, grouped into 131 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.

What does chapter 1 of Big Pill contain?

Chapter 1 holds 651 sentences of Big Pill, unabridged, divided into 131 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Big Pill by Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 651 sentences, grouped into 131 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of Big Pill?

Work through the 131 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 131 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Big Pill

Common questions about reading Big Pill by Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Big Pill?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Big Pill is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Big Pill take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Big Pill section by section

How to work through Big Pill section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Big Pill to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Big Pill

Words and structures a reader meets early in Big Pill, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Big Pill, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Big Pill, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Big Pill, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.