Chapter 10 of Deathworld is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Deathworld is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face. Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it. Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship. Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall. The main drive rockets didn't fire.
Chapter 10 of Deathworld is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
an increase in rate of change
From this reading “Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.”
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.”
showing the parts of something separated but in positions that show their correct relation to one another
From this reading “Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.”
plural of “launcher” — armament in the form of a device capable of launching a rocket
From this reading “Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.”
a strong sea boat designed to rescue people from a sinking ship
From this reading “Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.”
plural of “reflex” — an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
From this reading “Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.”
plural of “rocket” — any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading “The main drive rockets didn't fire.”
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading “An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.”
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.
an increase in rate of change
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
of short duration or distance
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main drive rockets didn't fire.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading The main drive rockets didn't fire.
showing the parts of something separated but in positions that show their correct relation to one another
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The main drive rockets didn't fire.
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
(Greek mythology) the husband of Medea and leader of the Argonauts who sailed in quest of the Golden Fleece
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
plural of “launcher” — armament in the form of a device capable of launching a rocket
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
a strong sea boat designed to rescue people from a sinking ship
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
in a literal sense
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
most important element
From this reading The main drive rockets didn't fire.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
and nothing more
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
plural of “reflex” — an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
plural of “rocket” — any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading The main drive rockets didn't fire.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
transport commercially
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
very drunk
From this reading Only his Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Solid-fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the parent ship.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in Kerk's face.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Their brief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into free fall.
Chapter 10 of Deathworld by Harry Harrison holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 10 holds 413 sentences of Deathworld, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Deathworld by Harry Harrison exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 10 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 Deathworld by Harry Harrison on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4957 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28346 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28346, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 413 minutes of reading across 992 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Deathworld section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Deathworld 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 Deathworld, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
