Corsairs of the cosmos

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Corsairs of the cosmos is here in full — 638 sentences across 128 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edmond Hamilton • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/127

Corsairs of the cosmos Edmond Hamilton

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Corsairs of the cosmos is here in full — 638 sentences across 128 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

_A stupendous story of the Interstellar Patrol--an amazing weird-scientific tale of an invasion from outside the universe._ "What was the greatest adventure that you ever took part in during your service in the Interstellar Patrol?" That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked. My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had." Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula." And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

Corsairs of the cosmos

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Corsairs of the cosmos is here in full — 638 sentences across 128 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/127 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

Line 3

My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

Line 4

Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

Line 5

And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

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.

comet noun US /ˈkɑːmət/

(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit

From this reading “And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."”

differs verb US /ˈdɪfərz/

third-person singular of “differ” — be different

From this reading “And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."”

disagrees verb US /dɪsəˈɡriːz/

third-person singular of “disagree” — be of different opinions

From this reading “Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."”

Interstellar adjective US /ˌɪntərˈstelər/

between or among stars

From this reading “_A stupendous story of the Interstellar Patrol--an amazing weird-scientific tale of an invasion from outside the universe._ "What was the greatest adventure that you ever took part in during your service in the Interstellar Patrol?"”

invasion noun US /ˌɪnˈveɪʒən/

the act of invading; the act of an army that invades for conquest or plunder

nebula noun US /ˈnebjələ/

a medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer

From this reading “Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."”

stupendous adjective US /stuːˈpendəs/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

wildest adjective US /ˈwaɪldɪst/

superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading “My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."”

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.

second officer noun + noun

In this reading “And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."”

took part verb + noun counted as “take part”

share in something

In this reading “_A stupendous story of the Interstellar Patrol--an amazing weird-scientific tale of an invasion from outside the universe._ "What was the greatest adventure that you ever took part in during your service in the Interstellar Patrol?"”

two officers noun + noun counted as “two officer”

In this reading “That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.”

into the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “into … dark”

In this reading “Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."”

All words in this reading · 79

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading _A stupendous story of the Interstellar Patrol--an amazing weird-scientific tale of an invasion from outside the universe._ "What was the greatest adventure that you ever took part in during your service in the Interstellar Patrol?"

adventureverbUS /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

amazingadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/

surprising greatly

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

captainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

cometnounUS /ˈkɑːmət/

(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

differsverbUS /ˈdɪfərz/

third-person singular of “differ” — be different

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

DinnounUS /dɪn/

a loud harsh or strident noise

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

disagreesverbUS /dɪsəˈɡriːz/

third-person singular of “disagree” — be of different opinions

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

drawnadjectiveUS /drɔːn/

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

Dur

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

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

InterstellaradjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈstelər/

between or among stars

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

invasionnounUS /ˌɪnˈveɪʒən/

the act of invading; the act of an army that invades for conquest or plunder

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

Jhul

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

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

Kan

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

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

Korus

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

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

Nal

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

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

nebulanounUS /ˈnebjələ/

a medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

PatrolnounUS /pəˈtroʊl/

a detachment used for security or reconnaissance

penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/

past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

serpent-people

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

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

space-fight

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

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

stupendousadjectiveUS /stuːˈpendəs/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

talenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

venturousadjective

disposed to venture or take risks

From this reading And Jhul Din, my big second officer, differs with both of us and says, "That time we penetrated inside a comet was by far the most venturous."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

weird-scientific

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

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Korus Kan, my first officer, disagrees: "It was the time that we were drawn into the dark nebula."

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading That is a question which I, Dur Nal, captain in the Patrol, and my two officers are often asked.

wildestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪldɪst/

superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading My own answer is: "I believe our space-fight with the serpent-people was the wildest adventure ever we had."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 1 of Corsairs of the cosmos by Edmond Hamilton holds 638 sentences, grouped into 128 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 Corsairs of the cosmos contain?

Chapter 1 holds 638 sentences of Corsairs of the cosmos, unabridged, divided into 128 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Corsairs of the cosmos by Edmond Hamilton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 638 sentences, grouped into 128 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 Corsairs of the cosmos?

Work through the 128 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 128 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 Corsairs of the cosmos

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Is this the complete text of Corsairs of the cosmos?

Yes. All 638 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75438 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Corsairs of the cosmos is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75438, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Corsairs of the cosmos take to read?

About 53 minutes of reading across 128 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Corsairs of the cosmos

Words and structures a reader meets early in Corsairs of the cosmos, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stupendous: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Corsairs of the cosmos; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Corsairs of the cosmos; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Interstellar: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Corsairs of the cosmos; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Patrol--an: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Corsairs of the cosmos; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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Vocabulary met early in Corsairs of the cosmos