Chapter 1 of Gama Is Thee! is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Gama Is Thee! is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GAMA IS THEE! _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure. You never know who--or what--will answer your summons. The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look. Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
Chapter 1 of Gama Is Thee! is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 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.
plural of “bang” — a vigorous blow
From this reading “_On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.”
prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult
From this reading “The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.”
a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed
From this reading “_On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.”
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading “Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.”
gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises
From this reading “_On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.”
a request to be present
From this reading “You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.”
plural of “swing” — a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity
From this reading “The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.”
the second nearest planet to the sun
From this reading “_On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.”
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 door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.”
In this reading “_On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.”
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 _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
react verbally
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
plural of “bang” — a vigorous blow
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GAMA IS THEE!
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
assemble or get together
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading GAMA IS THEE!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
a female domestic
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
the force of workers available
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
make reference to
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
a person, without saying who
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
a request to be present
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
plural of “swing” — a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading GAMA IS THEE!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
the second nearest planet to the sun
From this reading _On Venus, if one rings a doorbell, or bangs on a locked gate at night, it is adventure.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
in or to any place at all
From this reading Will it be maid--or monster--or both?_ Wherever men gather and talk, someone is sure to mention Khaljean's, on Venus.
which person or people
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You never know who--or what--will answer your summons.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading The door swings slowly open and you brace yourself to look.
Chapter 1 of Gama Is Thee! by Stanley Mullen holds 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 450 sentences of Gama Is Thee!, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Gama Is Thee! by Stanley Mullen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 Gama Is Thee! by Stanley Mullen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 896 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64309 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #64309, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 74 minutes of reading across 180 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Gama Is Thee! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Gama Is Thee! 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 Gama Is Thee!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
