Chapter 1 of Blueblood is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Blueblood is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen! Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb. I mean I'm not _that_ dumb. I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be. A pilot is only an expendable part.
Chapter 1 of Blueblood is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.”
plural of “alien” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading “There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!”
comparative of “blue” — of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading “There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!”
100 chon equal 1 won in South Korea
From this reading “I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.”
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading “Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.”
suitable to be expended
From this reading “A pilot is only an expendable part.”
operate an airplane
From this reading “Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.”
plural of “variety” — a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading “There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
plural of “alien” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A pilot is only an expendable part.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
for the reason that
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
comparative of “blue” — of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
100 chon equal 1 won in South Korea
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
divisible by two
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
suitable to be expended
From this reading A pilot is only an expendable part.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I mean I'm not _that_ dumb.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A pilot is only an expendable part.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I mean I'm not _that_ dumb.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
and nothing more
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
take precedence or surpass others in rank
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading A pilot is only an expendable part.
operate an airplane
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading Even if I'm only a space pilot, I'm not dumb.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I mean I'm not _that_ dumb.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
plural of “variety” — a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I admit that Dr. Ellik and Dr. Chon outrank me, because that's the way it's got to be.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were two varieties of aliens--blue and bluer--but not as blue as the Earthmen!
Chapter 1 of Blueblood by Jim Harmon holds 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 458 sentences of Blueblood, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Blueblood by Jim Harmon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 Blueblood by Jim Harmon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 458 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51499 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51499, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 38 minutes of reading across 92 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Blueblood section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Blueblood 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 Blueblood, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
