Chapter 1 of Brigands of the Moon is here in full — 415 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 Brigands of the Moon is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
We took the seats. There was an alarming solemnity about this. If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening. But Halsey's words reassured me. "It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.
Chapter 1 of Brigands of the Moon is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 8/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 36–40
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.
frightening because of an awareness of danger
From this reading “There was an alarming solemnity about this.”
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading “"It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.”
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.”
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading “If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.”
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading “"It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.”
having confidence restored; freed from anxiety
From this reading “But Halsey's words reassured me.”
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading “We took the seats.”
a trait of dignified seriousness
From this reading “There was an alarming solemnity about this.”
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 There was an alarming solemnity about this.
frightening because of an awareness of danger
From this reading There was an alarming solemnity about this.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an alarming solemnity about this.
any thing at all
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Halsey's words reassured me.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading "It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Halsey's words reassured me.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But Halsey's words reassured me.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading "It's about the Grantline Moon Expedition.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
having confidence restored; freed from anxiety
From this reading But Halsey's words reassured me.
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading We took the seats.
a trait of dignified seriousness
From this reading There was an alarming solemnity about this.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We took the seats.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an alarming solemnity about this.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There was an alarming solemnity about this.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading We took the seats.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was an alarming solemnity about this.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We took the seats.
the words that are spoken
From this reading But Halsey's words reassured me.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frightening.
Chapter 1 of Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings holds 415 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 415 sentences of Brigands of the Moon, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 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 Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7750 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19066, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1550 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Brigands of the Moon section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Brigands of the Moon 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 Brigands of the Moon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
