Chapter 9 of First on the Moon is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of First on the Moon is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets. He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket. No matter, he thought. Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
Chapter 9 of First on the Moon is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
relating to or characteristic of alps
From this reading “At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.”
-ing form of “brake” — stop travelling by applying a brake
From this reading “At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.”
plural of “computer” — a machine for performing calculations automatically
From this reading “At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.”
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading “Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.”
in an imperceptible manner or to an imperceptible degree
From this reading “Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.”
plural of “rocket” — any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading “At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.”
past form of “slow” — lose velocity; move more slowly
From this reading “Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.”
past form of “spell” — orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading “At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.”
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.
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 At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
relating to or characteristic of alps
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
-ing form of “brake” — stop travelling by applying a brake
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
plural of “computer” — a machine for performing calculations automatically
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
a steep rugged rock or cliff
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
spoiled or ruined or demolished
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
with the head foremost
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
of the present time and place
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
in an imperceptible manner or to an imperceptible degree
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading No matter, he thought.
not any; not one
From this reading No matter, he thought.
plural of “occupant” — someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
plural of “rocket” — any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
past form of “slow” — lose velocity; move more slowly
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
past form of “spell” — orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At a precise point in space spelled out by the Alpine computers Crag applied the first braking rockets.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Slowly, almost imperceptibly, their headlong flight was slowed.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading No matter, he thought.
inside information that something is going to happen
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He realized that the act had been an immediate tip-off to the occupants of the other rocket.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sooner or later they had to discover it was the drone they had destroyed.
Chapter 9 of First on the Moon by Jeff Sutton holds 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 9 holds 385 sentences of First on the Moon, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of First on the Moon by Jeff Sutton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 9 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 First on the Moon by Jeff Sutton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5657 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43235 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43235, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 471 minutes of reading across 1132 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through First on the Moon section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of First on the Moon 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 First on the Moon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
