Chapter 5 of Empire is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Empire is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He had built an empire of many worlds. That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal. Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power. And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power. That threat had to be smashed!
Chapter 5 of Empire is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading “He had built an empire of many worlds.”
the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it
From this reading “That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.”
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading “Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.”
plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading “That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.”
(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 “Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.”
very drunk
From this reading “That threat had to be smashed!”
something that is a source of danger
From this reading “That threat had to be smashed!”
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “He had built an empire of many worlds.”
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 And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
set up or found
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
obtain
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
the force of workers available
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
not any; not one
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
(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 Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
very drunk
From this reading That threat had to be smashed!
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
something that is a source of danger
From this reading That threat had to be smashed!
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading Fighting every inch from planet to planet, he had used power to gain power.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
which person or people
From this reading And now that empire was threatened by two men who had found a greater power.
in the company of; together with
From this reading That couldn't be done with gentle methods and no sure goal.
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He had built an empire of many worlds.
Chapter 5 of Empire by Clifford D. Simak holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 5 holds 426 sentences of Empire, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Empire by Clifford D. Simak exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 5 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 Empire by Clifford D. Simak on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4587 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28215 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28215, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 382 minutes of reading across 918 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Empire section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Empire 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 Empire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
