Chapter 1 of Cosmic striptease is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Cosmic striptease is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them. So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen. This proved the superiority of their science. But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up. And so did the Thor.
Chapter 1 of Cosmic striptease is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/93 · 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.
(Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders
From this reading “But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.”
a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color
From this reading “So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.”
imaginary people who live on the planet Mars
From this reading “_A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.”
motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
From this reading “But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.”
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading “So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.”
the quality of being superior
From this reading “This proved the superiority of their science.”
(Norse mythology) god of thunder and rain and farming; pictured as wielding a hammer emblematic of the thunderbolt; identified with Teutonic Donar
From this reading “And so did the Thor.”
a joke that seems extremely funny
From this reading “But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.”
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.
put clothing on one's body
In this reading “So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.”
cause to burst with a violent release of energy
In this reading “But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.”
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 _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
(Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And so did the Thor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
engage in
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
imaginary people who live on the planet Mars
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
no person; not anyone
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This proved the superiority of their science.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
established beyond doubt
From this reading This proved the superiority of their science.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
a particular branch of scientific knowledge
From this reading This proved the superiority of their science.
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
the quality of being superior
From this reading This proved the superiority of their science.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading This proved the superiority of their science.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This proved the superiority of their science.
(Norse mythology) god of thunder and rain and farming; pictured as wielding a hammer emblematic of the thunderbolt; identified with Teutonic Donar
From this reading And so did the Thor.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
From this reading So Mars put on a spectacular for Earth, using the skies as a TV screen.
the words that are spoken
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading _A picture is worth a thousand words--especially if they're Martian words and nobody can understand them.
a joke that seems extremely funny
From this reading But their morals--Wow!_ The Atlas didn't make it--it blew up.
Chapter 1 of Cosmic striptease by Harlan Ellison holds 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 469 sentences of Cosmic striptease, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Cosmic striptease by Harlan Ellison exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 94 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 Cosmic striptease by Harlan Ellison on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 469 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73682 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73682, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 39 minutes of reading across 94 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cosmic striptease section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Cosmic striptease 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 Cosmic striptease, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
