Chapter 1 of Conditionally Human is here in full — 456 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 Conditionally Human is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
By WALTER M. MILLER, JR. They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them. Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous! There was no use hanging around after breakfast. His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
Chapter 1 of Conditionally Human is here in full — 456 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.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading “They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.”
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading “His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.”
United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)
From this reading “By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.”
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading “His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.”
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading “Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!”
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading “His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.”
not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially
From this reading “They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading “By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!”
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 His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
later than; following
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!
plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
be the source of pain
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
a son who has the same first name as his father
From this reading By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)
From this reading By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
the act of using
From this reading There was no use hanging around after breakfast.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading By WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were such cute synthetic creatures, it was impossible not to love them.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Of course, that was precisely why they were dangerous!
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading His wife was in a hurt mood, and he could neither endure the hurt nor remove it.
Chapter 1 of Conditionally Human by Walter M. Miller holds 456 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 456 sentences of Conditionally Human, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Conditionally Human by Walter M. Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 456 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 Conditionally Human by Walter M. Miller on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 912 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51651 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51651, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 76 minutes of reading across 183 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Conditionally Human section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Conditionally Human 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 Conditionally Human, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
