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Mars Is My Destination
Mars Is My Destination

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Mars Is My Destination is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mars Is My Destination
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Sure, why not?
You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.
Right off, that's bad.
It keeps you from really setting to work on him."
At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?
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.

Mars Is My Destination

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Mars Is My Destination is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Sure, why not?
/ʃʊr waɪ nɑːt/
Line 2
You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.
/juː siː ə ɡaɪ flæt ɑːn hɪz feɪs wɪð hɪz skʌl bæʃt ɪn ənd juː stɑːrt ˈfiːlɪŋ ˈsɑːri fɔːr hɪm/
Line 3
Right off, that's bad.
Line 4
It keeps you from really setting to work on him."
/ɪt kiːps juː frʌm ˈrɪli ˈsetɪŋ tuː wɜːrk ɑːn hɪm/
Line 5
At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

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.

bashed verb US /bæʃt/

past form of “bash” — hit hard

From this reading “You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.”

keeps noun US /kiːps/

plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives

From this reading “It keeps you from really setting to work on him."”

metal noun US /ˈmetəl/

any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.

From this reading “At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?”

screen noun US /skriːn/

a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing

From this reading “At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?”

skull noun US /skʌl/

the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

From this reading “You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.”

slashing adjective US /ˈslæʃɪŋ/

as if striking with slashing blows

From this reading “At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?”

stepping verb US /ˈstepɪŋ/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading “At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?”

whiplash noun US /ˈwɪplæʃ/

an injury to the neck (the cervical vertebrae) resulting from rapid acceleration or deceleration (as in an automobile accident)

From this reading “At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?”

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.

ever heard adverb + adjective

In this reading “At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Right off, that's bad.

bashedverbUS /bæʃt/

past form of “bash” — hit hard

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

chestnounUS /tʃest/

the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

five-pronged

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

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

giantnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

guynounUS /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

keepsnounUS /kiːps/

plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

metalnounUS /ˈmetəl/

any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Sure, why not?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Right off, that's bad.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

RightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Right off, that's bad.

screennounUS /skriːn/

a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

skullnounUS /skʌl/

the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

slashingadjectiveUS /ˈslæʃɪŋ/

as if striking with slashing blows

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

steppingverbUS /ˈstepɪŋ/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

SureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading "Sure, why not?

that's

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

From this reading Right off, that's bad.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

whiplashnounUS /ˈwɪplæʃ/

an injury to the neck (the cervical vertebrae) resulting from rapid acceleration or deceleration (as in an automobile accident)

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading At first you can laugh, almost, because who ever heard of a screen giant stepping out from the screen and slashing you across the chest with a five-pronged metal whiplash?

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Sure, why not?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It keeps you from really setting to work on him."

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see a guy flat on his face, with his skull bashed in, and you start feeling sorry for him.

Chapter 6 of Mars Is My Destination by Frank Belknap Long holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 6 of Mars Is My Destination contain?

Chapter 6 holds 434 sentences of Mars Is My Destination, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Mars Is My Destination by Frank Belknap Long exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 6 of Mars Is My Destination?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Mars Is My Destination

Common questions about reading Mars Is My Destination by Frank Belknap Long on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mars Is My Destination?

Yes. All 3429 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51125 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mars Is My Destination is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51125, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mars Is My Destination take to read?

About 285 minutes of reading across 686 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mars Is My Destination section by section

How to work through Mars Is My Destination section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Mars Is My Destination 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 Mars Is My Destination

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mars Is My Destination, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Science-fiction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mars Is My Destination; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mars Is My Destination; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frank
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mars Is My Destination; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Belknap
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mars Is My Destination; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.