Chapter 1 of Death of a Spaceman is here in full — 619 sentences across 124 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Death of a Spaceman is here in full — 619 sentences across 124 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR. _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die. Take old man Donegal, for example. Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side. Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.
Chapter 1 of Death of a Spaceman is here in full — 619 sentences across 124 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/123 · 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 fully developed person from maturity onward
From this reading “Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.”
the act of digging
From this reading “Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.”
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading “Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.”
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading “Take old man Donegal, for example.”
an opening into or through something
From this reading “Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.”
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading “_The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.”
United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)
From this reading “BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading “BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.”
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 “Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.”
a man who is very old
In this reading “Take old man Donegal, for example.”
as an example
In this reading “Take old man Donegal, for example.”
In this reading “Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.”
move out of or depart from
In this reading “Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.”
In this reading “Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.”
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 _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
a fully developed person from maturity onward
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
the act of digging
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Take old man Donegal, for example.
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading Take old man Donegal, for example.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Take old man Donegal, for example.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
an opening into or through something
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
a son who has the same first name as his father
From this reading BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)
From this reading BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
many times at short intervals
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Take old man Donegal, for example.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
carry out
From this reading Take old man Donegal, for example.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading BY WALTER M. MILLER, JR.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Most of his adult life was spent in digging a hole through space to learn what was on the other side.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading _The manner in which a man has lived is often the key to the way he will die.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Would he go out the same way?_ Old Donegal was dying.
Chapter 1 of Death of a Spaceman by Walter M. Miller holds 619 sentences, grouped into 124 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 619 sentences of Death of a Spaceman, unabridged, divided into 124 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Death of a Spaceman by Walter M. Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 619 sentences, grouped into 124 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 124 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 124 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 of a Spaceman by Walter M. Miller on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 619 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29643 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29643, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 51 minutes of reading across 124 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Death of a Spaceman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Death of a Spaceman 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 of a Spaceman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
