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Circle of Flight
Circle of Flight

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Circle of Flight is here in full — 383 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Circle of Flight
Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.
Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.
Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.
The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.
They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.
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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.

Circle of Flight

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Circle of Flight is here in full — 383 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.
Line 2
Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.
/ˈɑːriə ðə ˈhiːlər hæd dɪˈtɜːrmənd hɜːr weɪ/
Line 3
Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.
/wɪtʃ dɪˈtɜːrmənd ðɪs ˈklæsɪk ˈmiːtɪŋ ʌv ðə tweɪn ɪt siːmd ðeɪ hæd ˈɑːrɡjuːd fɔːr jɪrz æz ðeɪ wɜːr ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ təˈnaɪt/
Line 4
The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.
Line 5
They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.
/ðeɪ ɡlænst æt ðer ˈwɑːtʃəz wɪð ˈfɪrfəl aɪz/

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.

arguing noun US /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading “Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.”

Aria noun US /ˈɑːriə/

an elaborate song for solo voice

From this reading “Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.”

cigarettes noun US /ˌsɪɡərˈets/

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading “The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.”

classic noun US /ˈklæsɪk/

a creation of the highest excellence

From this reading “Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.”

healer noun US /ˈhiːlər/

a person skilled in a particular type of therapy

From this reading “Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.”

paced verb US /peɪst/

past form of “pace” — walk with slow or fast paces

From this reading “The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.”

vengeful adjective US /ˈvendʒfəl/

disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

From this reading “_Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.”

watches noun US /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading “They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.”

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.

glanced at verb + particle counted as “glance at”

In this reading “They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.”

for years preposition + noun

In this reading “Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

arguedverbUS /ˈɑːrɡjuːd/

past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

arguingnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

ArianounUS /ˈɑːriə/

an elaborate song for solo voice

From this reading Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

chain-smoking

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

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

cigarettesnounUS /ˌsɪɡərˈets/

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

classicnounUS /ˈklæsɪk/

a creation of the highest excellence

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

fearfuladjectiveUS /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

healernounUS /ˈhiːlər/

a person skilled in a particular type of therapy

From this reading Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Aria, the healer, had determined_ her _way.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

motionlessadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊʃənləs/

not in physical motion

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

pacedverbUS /peɪst/

past form of “pace” — walk with slow or fast paces

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

Thorus

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

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

tonightadverbUS /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

twainnounUS /tweɪn/

two items of the same kind

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

vengefuladjectiveUS /ˈvendʒfəl/

disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading _Thorus, the vengeful, had determined_ his _way.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They glanced at their watches with fearful eyes.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The man paced back and forth chain-smoking cigarettes; the woman sat motionless, watching him.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Which determined this classic meeting of the twain._ It seemed they had argued for years as they were arguing tonight.

Chapter 1 of Circle of Flight by Richard Stockham holds 383 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Circle of Flight contain?

Chapter 1 holds 383 sentences of Circle of Flight, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Circle of Flight by Richard Stockham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 383 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Circle of Flight?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 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 Circle of Flight

Common questions about reading Circle of Flight by Richard Stockham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Circle of Flight?

Yes. All 383 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32885 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Circle of Flight is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32885, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Circle of Flight take to read?

About 31 minutes of reading across 77 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Circle of Flight section by section

How to work through Circle of Flight section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Circle of Flight 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 Circle of Flight

Words and structures a reader meets early in Circle of Flight, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thorus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Circle of Flight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vengeful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Circle of Flight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Determined
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Circle of Flight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Healer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Circle of Flight; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.