Chapter 1 of Galactic Ghost is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Galactic Ghost is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death. But Willard wasn't superstitions. He had seen the phantom--and lived. The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying. Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
Chapter 1 of Galactic Ghost is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/62 · 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.
a native or inhabitant of Holland
From this reading “The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.”
moving swiftly
From this reading “The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.”
something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
From this reading “The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.”
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading “Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.”
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading “He had seen the phantom--and lived.”
with spasms
From this reading “Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.”
plural of “superstition” — an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear
From this reading “But Willard wasn't superstitions.”
United States advocate of temperance and women's suffrage (1839-1898)
From this reading “But Willard wasn't superstitions.”
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 “The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.”
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 The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had seen the phantom--and lived.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Willard wasn't superstitions.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
a native or inhabitant of Holland
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.
at any time
From this reading The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.
moving swiftly
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had seen the phantom--and lived.
something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had seen the phantom--and lived.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading He had seen the phantom--and lived.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
and nothing more
From this reading The only friend in space Willard had ever known was dying.
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading He had seen the phantom--and lived.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had seen the phantom--and lived.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
with spasms
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
plural of “superstition” — an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear
From this reading But Willard wasn't superstitions.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Flying Dutchman of space was a harbinger of death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Willard wasn't superstitions.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Dobbin's lips were parched and his breath came spasmodically.
United States advocate of temperance and women's suffrage (1839-1898)
From this reading But Willard wasn't superstitions.
Chapter 1 of Galactic Ghost by Walter Kubilius holds 311 sentences, grouped into 63 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 1 holds 311 sentences of Galactic Ghost, unabridged, divided into 63 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Galactic Ghost by Walter Kubilius exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 311 sentences, grouped into 63 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 63 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 63 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 1 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 Galactic Ghost by Walter Kubilius on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 311 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62244 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62244, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 25 minutes of reading across 63 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Galactic Ghost section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Galactic Ghost 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 Galactic Ghost, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
