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Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator
Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator is here in full — 524 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator
Context Illustration Reading 1/104 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!
Everything happens to me.
We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.
I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.
I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator is here in full — 524 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/104 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!
Line 2
Everything happens to me.
/ˈevriθɪŋ ˈhæpənz tuː miː/
Line 3
We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.
Line 4
I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.
Line 5
I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

Learner Dictionary

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.

audio noun US /ˈɑːdioʊ/

the audible part of a transmitted signal

From this reading “I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.”

Freight noun US /freɪt/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading “I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.”

Lancelot noun US /ˈlænsəlɑːt/

(Arthurian legend) one of the knights of the Round Table; friend of King Arthur until (according to some versions of the legend) he became the lover of Arthur's wife Guinevere

From this reading “Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!”

navigation noun US /ˈnævəˈɡeɪʃən/

the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place

From this reading “Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!”

plugged adjective US /plʌɡd/

(of a coin) altered by the insertion of a plug of base metal

From this reading “I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.”

Saturn noun US /ˈsætərn/

a giant planet that is surrounded by three planar concentric rings of ice particles; the 6th planet from the sun

Solar adjective US /ˈsoʊlər/

relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun

From this reading “We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.”

turret noun US /ˈtɜːrət/

a small tower extending above a building

From this reading “We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

into a mess preposition + article + noun counted as “into … mess”

In this reading “Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!”

stared into verb + particle counted as “stare into”

In this reading “I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.”

from the Sun preposition + article + noun counted as “from … sun”

In this reading “We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

10

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

13

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

Allonby

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

audionounUS /ˈɑːdioʊ/

the audible part of a transmitted signal

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

Biggs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

cargonounUS /ˈkɑːrɡoʊ/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

CommandernounUS /kəˈmændər/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

ConstantadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnstənt/

unvarying in nature

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

contractverbUS /ˈkɑːntrækt/

enter into a contractual arrangement

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Everything happens to me.

familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/

well known or easily recognized

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

firingnounUS /ˈfaɪrɪŋ/

the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

FreightnounUS /freɪt/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

gravs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

happensverbUS /ˈhæpənz/

third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Everything happens to me.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

LancelotnounUS /ˈlænsəlɑːt/

(Arthurian legend) one of the knights of the Round Table; friend of King Arthur until (according to some versions of the legend) he became the lover of Arthur's wife Guinevere

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

luggernoun

small fishing boat rigged with one or more lugsails

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Everything happens to me.

meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

messnounUS /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

navigationnounUS /ˈnævəˈɡeɪʃən/

the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

panverbUS /pæn/

make a sweeping movement

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

pluggedadjectiveUS /plʌɡd/

(of a coin) altered by the insertion of a plug of base metal

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

preparingverbUS /priˈperɪŋ/

-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

prizenounUS /praɪz/

something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

SaturnnounUS /ˈsætərn/

a giant planet that is surrounded by three planar concentric rings of ice particles; the 6th planet from the sun

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

SolaradjectiveUS /ˈsoʊlər/

relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

spacedrome

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading I plugged in the audio and stared into the familiar pan of Commander Allonby.

SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

TimenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

TrustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

turretnounUS /ˈtɜːrət/

a small tower extending above a building

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I said, "Freight lugger _Saturn_ preparing to up gravs, Commander.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading We finished taking on cargo at 13:10, Solar Constant Time, and I went to my turret for firing orders from the Sun City spacedrome officer.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year...!

Chapter 1 of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator by Nelson S. Bond holds 524 sentences, grouped into 105 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.

What does chapter 1 of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator contain?

Chapter 1 holds 524 sentences of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator, unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator by Nelson S. Bond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 524 sentences, grouped into 105 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator?

Work through the 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 105 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator

Common questions about reading Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator by Nelson S. Bond on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator?

Yes. All 524 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73943 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73943, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator take to read?

About 43 minutes of reading across 105 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator section by section

How to work through Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Trust
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lancelot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Biggs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lancelot Biggs, Master Navigator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.