Chapter 1 of Death in Transit is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Death in Transit is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do. Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor. "Karen," he murmured. "Karen." He had been standing there a long time.
Chapter 1 of Death in Transit is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/108 · 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 partition that divides a ship or plane into compartments
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
plural of “choice” — the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
the Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Thailand and Burmese borderlands
From this reading “"Karen," he murmured.”
move with force
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
assume a drooping posture or carriage
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
standing posture
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
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.
In this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
a prolonged period of time
In this reading “He had been standing there a long time.”
In this reading “Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been standing there a long time.
the lower side of anything
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
a partition that divides a ship or plane into compartments
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
plural of “choice” — the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
divisible by two
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been standing there a long time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Thailand and Burmese borderlands
From this reading "Karen," he murmured.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He had been standing there a long time.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading "Karen," he murmured.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
and nothing more
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
move with force
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
assume a drooping posture or carriage
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
standing posture
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
having a supporting base
From this reading He had been standing there a long time.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
in or at that place or location
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
a special situation
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He had been standing there a long time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _There was one, and only one, thing Clifton could do.
a Caucasian
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
which person or people
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading Even so, he made the worst of 100 possible choices!_ Clifton stood at the bottom of the shaft, his face white, his eyes wide, his stance against the bulkhead that of a man who needed only a slight push to slump to the floor.
Chapter 1 of Death in Transit by Jerry Sohl holds 543 sentences, grouped into 109 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 543 sentences of Death in Transit, unabridged, divided into 109 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Death in Transit by Jerry Sohl exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 543 sentences, grouped into 109 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 109 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 109 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 Death in Transit by Jerry Sohl on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67457 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67457, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 45 minutes of reading across 109 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Death in Transit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Death in Transit 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 Death in Transit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
