Chapter 20 of From the Earth to the Moon, Direct in Ninety-Seven Hours and Twenty Minutes is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of From the Earth to the Moon, Direct in Ninety-Seven Hours and Twenty Minutes is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FIRE! The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h. 46m. 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee. The weather was magnificent.
Chapter 20 of From the Earth to the Moon, Direct in Ninety-Seven Hours and Twenty Minutes is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 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 prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading “40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.”
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading “The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.”
having lost your job
From this reading “The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.”
being one more than seventeen
From this reading “40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.”
bringing death
From this reading “The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.”
a weapon that is forcibly thrown or projected at a targets but is not self-propelled
From this reading “The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.”
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading “40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.”
the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading “40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.”
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 “40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.”
In this reading “The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.”
In this reading “40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 46m.
anew
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
having lost your job
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
being one more than seventeen
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
bringing death
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
start firing a weapon
From this reading FIRE!
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading 46m.
characterized by grandeur
From this reading The weather was magnificent.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
periapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is nearest to the Earth
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
a weapon that is forcibly thrown or projected at a targets but is not self-propelled
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
Identical; not different.
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
precisely as stated
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The weather was magnificent.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading The weather was magnificent.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The first of December had arrived! the fatal day! for, if the projectile were not discharged that very night at 10h.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
a late time of life
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading 40s. p.m., more than eighteen years must roll by before the moon would again present herself under the same conditions of zenith and perigee.
Chapter 20 of From the Earth to the Moon, Direct in Ninety-Seven Hours and Twenty Minutes by Jules Verne holds 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 20 holds 80 sentences of From the Earth to the Moon, Direct in Ninety-Seven Hours and Twenty Minutes, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of From the Earth to the Moon, Direct in Ninety-Seven Hours and Twenty Minutes by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 16 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 20 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.
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About 412 minutes of reading across 991 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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