Chapter 4 of Breaking Point is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Breaking Point is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I wish it wasn't. I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness. The Captain looked at him shrewdly. "Go on with your case histories." "I've finished."
Chapter 4 of Breaking Point is here in full — 413 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 feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
From this reading “I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.”
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “The Captain looked at him shrewdly.”
an occurrence of something
From this reading “"Go on with your case histories."”
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading “"I've finished."”
plural of “history” — the aggregate of past events
From this reading “"Go on with your case histories."”
in a shrewd manner
From this reading “The Captain looked at him shrewdly.”
causing surprise or wonder or amazement
From this reading “I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.”
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading “I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Captain looked at him shrewdly.
a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The Captain looked at him shrewdly.
an occurrence of something
From this reading "Go on with your case histories."
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading "I've finished."
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Go on with your case histories."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Captain looked at him shrewdly.
plural of “history” — the aggregate of past events
From this reading "Go on with your case histories."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wish it wasn't.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I've finished."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I wish it wasn't.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The Captain looked at him shrewdly.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Go on with your case histories."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
in a shrewd manner
From this reading The Captain looked at him shrewdly.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
causing surprise or wonder or amazement
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Captain looked at him shrewdly.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wish it wasn't.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading "I wish it wasn't.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading I wish I had some things to--wonder about," said Paresi with surprising bitterness.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Go on with your case histories."
Chapter 4 of Breaking Point by James E. Gunn holds 413 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 4 holds 413 sentences of Breaking Point, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Breaking Point by James E. Gunn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 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 4 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 Breaking Point by James E. Gunn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1659 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21988 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21988, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 138 minutes of reading across 332 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Breaking Point section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Breaking 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 Breaking Point, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
