Chapter 2 of Exile from Space is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Exile from Space is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"You were right the first time. And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly." Which was just the trouble. Not only able to, but unable not to. It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
Chapter 2 of Exile from Space is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
without doubt or question
From this reading “And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."”
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action
From this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
the cognitive processes whereby past experience is remembered
From this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading “Not only able to, but unable not to.”
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 “"You were right the first time.”
In this reading “It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.”
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.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not only able to, but unable not to.
without doubt or question
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "You were right the first time.
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
and nothing more
From this reading Which was just the trouble.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
absolutely essential
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not only able to, but unable not to.
and nothing more
From this reading Not only able to, but unable not to.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
the cognitive processes whereby past experience is remembered
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "You were right the first time.
express in words
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
carry out
From this reading It didn't take any special planning or remembering to say or act the necessary lies to other humans.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "You were right the first time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "You were right the first time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
a source of difficulty
From this reading Which was just the trouble.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading Not only able to, but unable not to.
precisely as stated
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Which was just the trouble.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You were right the first time.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And you seem to be able to say what you mean very clearly."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Which was just the trouble.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You were right the first time.
Chapter 2 of Exile from Space by Judith Merril holds 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 2 holds 451 sentences of Exile from Space, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Exile from Space by Judith Merril exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 2 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 Exile from Space by Judith Merril on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 922 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31661 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31661, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 76 minutes of reading across 185 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Exile from Space section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Exile from Space 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 Exile from Space, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
