Chapter 1 of Inside Earth is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Inside Earth is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule. Obviously? This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion! The biotechnicians had been very thorough. I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
Chapter 1 of Inside Earth is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
someone who is victorious by force of arms
From this reading “Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.”
an inhabitant of the earth
From this reading “I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.”
plural of “length” — the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading “This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.”
refusal to accept some authority or code or convention
From this reading “This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!”
organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another
From this reading “Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.”
painstakingly careful and accurate
From this reading “The biotechnicians had been very thorough.”
smaller than normal for its kind
From this reading “I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.”
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 “This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!”
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 This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The biotechnicians had been very thorough.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The biotechnicians had been very thorough.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
someone who is victorious by force of arms
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
an inhabitant of the earth
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The biotechnicians had been very thorough.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
plural of “length” — the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
not any; not one
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
go across or through
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
refusal to accept some authority or code or convention
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
meant or adapted for an occasion or use
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The biotechnicians had been very thorough.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
painstakingly careful and accurate
From this reading The biotechnicians had been very thorough.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
smaller than normal for its kind
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
precisely as stated
From this reading The biotechnicians had been very thorough.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading Obviously, no conqueror wants his subjects to revolt against his rule.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I was already a little undersized, which meant that my height and build were suitable--I could pass for a big Earthling.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading This one would go to any lengths to start a rebellion!
Chapter 1 of Inside Earth by Poul Anderson holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 426 sentences of Inside Earth, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Inside Earth by Poul Anderson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Inside Earth by Poul Anderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1260 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51184 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51184, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 105 minutes of reading across 252 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Inside Earth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Inside Earth 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 Inside Earth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
