Chapter 3 of Critical difference is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Critical difference is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done. It was not unreasonable. Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand. If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast. If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.
Chapter 3 of Critical difference is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.”
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading “If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.”
the outer region of the Earth's atmosphere; contains a high concentration of free electrons
From this reading “Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.”
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading “If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.”
operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal
From this reading “If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.”
-ing form of “pump” — operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal
From this reading “Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.”
the sound of light blow or knock
From this reading “Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.”
not reasonable; not showing good judgment
From this reading “It was not unreasonable.”
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.
come up with
In this reading “He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.”
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 Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
the outer region of the Earth's atmosphere; contains a high concentration of free electrons
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not unreasonable.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not unreasonable.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
-ing form of “pump” — operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
the sound of light blow or knock
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
a special situation
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
not reasonable; not showing good judgment
From this reading It was not unreasonable.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not unreasonable.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Tapping the ionosphere for power was something like pumping water out of a pipe-well in sand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the water-table was high, there was pressure to force the water to the pipe, and one could pump fast.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If the water-table were low, water couldn't flow fast enough.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He settled down at Herndon's desk to work out the thing to be done.
Chapter 3 of Critical difference by Murray Leinster holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 3 holds 429 sentences of Critical difference, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Critical difference by Murray Leinster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 3 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 Critical difference by Murray Leinster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1300 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68686 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #68686, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 108 minutes of reading across 260 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Critical difference section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Critical difference 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 Critical difference, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
