Chapter 11 of Empire is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Empire is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
* * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand. "Have you got that apparatus on full power?" "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven. "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship." "See you keep it that way.
Chapter 11 of Empire is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading “"Have you got that apparatus on full power?"”
lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
From this reading “"It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.”
the act of consuming food
From this reading “"It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."”
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading “"It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."”
an abrupt spasmodic movement
From this reading “* * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.”
a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
From this reading “* * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.”
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading “* * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.”
tangled in knots or snarls
From this reading “* * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.”
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.
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
the act of consuming food
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
an abrupt spasmodic movement
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "See you keep it that way.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "It's been on full power for minutes now," said Craven.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "See you keep it that way.
transport commercially
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
tangled in knots or snarls
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
successive (without a break)
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "It must be eating holes straight through Manning's ship."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading * * * * * "Shut up," snarled Stutsman, the pistol jerking in his hand.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "See you keep it that way.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you got that apparatus on full power?"
Chapter 11 of Empire by Clifford D. Simak holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 11 holds 418 sentences of Empire, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Empire by Clifford D. Simak exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 11 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.
