Chapter 9 of Islands of Space is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Islands of Space is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Arcot had to admit that he could not. He turned to Morey. "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way. A good offense is always the best defense. "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
Chapter 9 of Islands of Space is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “Arcot had to admit that he could not.”
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading “"They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.”
(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
From this reading “A good offense is always the best defense.”
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading “"They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.”
a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others
From this reading “A good offense is always the best defense.”
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading “"They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.”
superlative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading “"They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.”
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading “"But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.”
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 A good offense is always the best defense.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading A good offense is always the best defense.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading A good offense is always the best defense.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
From this reading A good offense is always the best defense.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
take in solid food
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading A good offense is always the best defense.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A good offense is always the best defense.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned to Morey.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others
From this reading A good offense is always the best defense.
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
superlative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Arcot had to admit that he could not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He turned to Morey.
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading "But experience has taught me that, unlike Torlos, I have to eat.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "They were certainly reasonable in driving us from their cities; experience has taught them that it's the safest way.
Chapter 9 of Islands of Space by John W., Jr. (John Wood) Campbell holds 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 445 sentences of Islands of Space, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Islands of Space by John W., Jr. (John Wood) Campbell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 Islands of Space by John W., Jr. (John Wood) Campbell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4347 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20988 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20988, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 362 minutes of reading across 870 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Islands of Space section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Islands of Space 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 Islands of Space, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
