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Dead Man's Planet
Dead Man's Planet

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Dead Man's Planet is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Dead Man's Planet
Context Illustration Reading 1/87 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.
Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.
"Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."
"Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.
He looked old for so young a kid.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Dead Man's Planet

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Dead Man's Planet is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.
Line 2
Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.
/ˌɪnˈsaɪd ɪt wɑːz sæm ˈwɪlsənz ˈtempər/
Line 3
"Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."
Line 4
"Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.
/ˌoʊˈkeɪ pɑːp sed mɑːrk ə ˈlɪtəl waɪt ərˈaʊnd ðə ˈnɑːstrəlz/
Line 5
He looked old for so young a kid.
/hiː lʊkt oʊld fɔːr soʊ jʌŋ ə kɪd/

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.

arrives verb US /ərˈaɪvz/

third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading “_When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.”

blazed verb US /bleɪzd/

past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively

From this reading “_When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.”

cemetery noun US /ˈseməteri/

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading “_When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.”

nostrils noun US /ˈnɑːstrəlz/

plural of “nostril” — either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose

From this reading “"Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.”

Okay adjective US /ˌoʊˈkeɪ/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading “"Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.”

Pop verb US /pɑːp/

bulge outward

From this reading “"Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.”

snarled adjective US /ˈsnɑːrəld/

tangled in knots or snarls

From this reading “"Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."”

Wilson's noun US /ˈwɪlsənz/

possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading “Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.”

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.

arrives at verb + particle counted as “arrive at”

reach a destination, either real or abstract

In this reading “_When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.”

set foot verb + noun

In this reading “"Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."”

little white adjective + noun

In this reading “"Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

angrilyadverbUS /ˈæŋɡrəli/

with anger

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

arrivesverbUS /ərˈaɪvz/

third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

blazedverbUS /bleɪzd/

past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

cemeterynounUS /ˈseməteri/

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

drivenadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪvən/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

else

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He looked old for so young a kid.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

I'll

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

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

InsideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

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

From this reading Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

journey's

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

kidverbUS /kɪd/

tell false information to for fun

From this reading He looked old for so young a kid.

lessonsnounUS /ˈlesənz/

plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He looked old for so young a kid.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

MarkverbUS /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

nostrilsnounUS /ˈnɑːstrəlz/

plural of “nostril” — either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

OkayadjectiveUS /ˌoʊˈkeɪ/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He looked old for so young a kid.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

OutsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

PopverbUS /pɑːp/

bulge outward

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.

savagenessnoun

the property of being untamed and ferocious

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

snarledadjectiveUS /ˈsnɑːrəld/

tangled in knots or snarls

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He looked old for so young a kid.

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

StudynounUS /ˈstʌdi/

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

tempernounUS /ˈtempər/

a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading "Okay, Pop," said Mark, a little white around the nostrils.

Wilson'snounUS /ˈwɪlsənz/

possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading Inside, it was Sam Wilson's temper.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading _When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end--and the start of a new one?_ Outside the ship, it was the sun that blazed angrily.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading He looked old for so young a kid.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Study your lessons," he snarled, with a savageness that surprised himself, "or I'll never let you set foot on this planet at all."

Chapter 1 of Dead Man's Planet by Joseph Samachson holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Dead Man's Planet contain?

Chapter 1 holds 438 sentences of Dead Man's Planet, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Dead Man's Planet by Joseph Samachson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Dead Man's Planet?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 Dead Man's Planet

Common questions about reading Dead Man's Planet by Joseph Samachson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dead Man's Planet?

Yes. All 438 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30773 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dead Man's Planet is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30773, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dead Man's Planet take to read?

About 36 minutes of reading across 88 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dead Man's Planet section by section

How to work through Dead Man's Planet section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Dead Man's Planet 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 Dead Man's Planet

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dead Man's Planet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Driven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Man's Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arrives
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Man's Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cemetery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Man's Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Man's Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.