Chapter 1 of Earth transit is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Earth transit is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum! The centerdeck chronometer said 1840 hours. That startled Lefler into full wakefulness. He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room. That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
Chapter 1 of Earth transit is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading “When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!”
plural of “coverall” — a loose-fitting protective garment that is worn over other clothing
From this reading “That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.”
the smallest possible quantity
From this reading “When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!”
third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading “When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!”
past due; not paid at the scheduled time
From this reading “He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.”
-ing form of “relieve” — provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading “He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.”
a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)
From this reading “When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!”
plural of “suspect” — someone who is under suspicion
From this reading “When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!”
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 “He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.”
a room housing control equipment (as in a recording studio)
In this reading “He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.”
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 The centerdeck chronometer said 1840 hours.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The centerdeck chronometer said 1840 hours.
an accurate clock (especially used in navigation)
From this reading The centerdeck chronometer said 1840 hours.
power to direct or determine
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
plural of “coverall” — a loose-fitting protective garment that is worn over other clothing
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
being ten more than thirty
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading That startled Lefler into full wakefulness.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The centerdeck chronometer said 1840 hours.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading That startled Lefler into full wakefulness.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
the smallest possible quantity
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
past due; not paid at the scheduled time
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
-ing form of “relieve” — provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He was forty minutes overdue in relieving Makki in the control room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The centerdeck chronometer said 1840 hours.
a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading That startled Lefler into full wakefulness.
plural of “suspect” — someone who is under suspicion
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
a periodic state during which you are conscious and aware of the world
From this reading That startled Lefler into full wakefulness.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That wasn't like Makki, he thought as he pulled on his coveralls hastily.
at the time that
From this reading When murder occurs on a spaceship, the number of suspects is at an absolute minimum--and Lefler was that minimum!
Chapter 1 of Earth transit by Charles L. Fontenay holds 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 458 sentences of Earth transit, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Earth transit by Charles L. Fontenay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 Earth transit by Charles L. Fontenay on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 458 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71589 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #71589, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 38 minutes of reading across 92 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Earth transit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Earth 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 Earth transit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
