Chapter 7 of Empire is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Empire is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman. Greg gave a bitter laugh. "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me. I think it'll be some time before you try again. Better luck next time."
Chapter 7 of Empire is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading “Greg gave a bitter laugh.”
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading “"I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.”
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading “"I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.”
obtain
From this reading “"What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.”
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading “"I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “Greg gave a bitter laugh.”
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading “Better luck next time."”
make an effort or attempt
From this reading “I think it'll be some time before you try again.”
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 Greg gave a bitter laugh.
anew
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Better luck next time."
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading Greg gave a bitter laugh.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
obtain
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Greg gave a bitter laugh.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Greg gave a bitter laugh.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
the sound of laughing
From this reading Greg gave a bitter laugh.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading Better luck next time."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Better luck next time."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I convinced you, Stutsman," he said, "that it isn't so easy to kill me.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading I think it'll be some time before you try again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What did you gain by it?" asked Stutsman.
Chapter 7 of Empire by Clifford D. Simak holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 7 holds 406 sentences of Empire, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Empire by Clifford D. Simak exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 7 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.
