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Message From Mars
Message From Mars

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Message From Mars is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Message From Mars
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"But what happened?" asked Scott.
"Why didn't you come back?
What happened to the ship?"
"We had no fuel," said Hugh.
Scott nodded his head.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Message From Mars

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Message From Mars is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"But what happened?" asked Scott.
/bʌt wʌt ˈhæpənd æskt skɑːt/
Line 2
"Why didn't you come back?
Line 3
What happened to the ship?"
/wʌt ˈhæpənd tuː ðə ʃɪp/
Line 4
"We had no fuel," said Hugh.
Line 5
Scott nodded his head.
/skɑːt ˈnɑːdəd hɪz hed/

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.

asked verb US /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “"But what happened?" asked Scott.”

back adverb US /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading “"Why didn't you come back?”

fuel verb US /ˈfjuːəl/

provide with a combustible substance that provides energy

From this reading “"We had no fuel," said Hugh.”

happened verb US /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading “"But what happened?" asked Scott.”

head noun US /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading “Scott nodded his head.”

nodded verb US /ˈnɑːdəd/

inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding

From this reading “Scott nodded his head.”

Scott noun US /skɑːt/

award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading “"But what happened?" asked Scott.”

ship verb US /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading “What happened to the ship?"”

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.

come back verb + particle

be restored

In this reading “"Why didn't you come back?”

All words in this reading · 22

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.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "But what happened?" asked Scott.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading "Why didn't you come back?

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But what happened?" asked Scott.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Why didn't you come back?

didn't

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

From this reading "Why didn't you come back?

fuelverbUS /ˈfjuːəl/

provide with a combustible substance that provides energy

From this reading "We had no fuel," said Hugh.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading "We had no fuel," said Hugh.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading "But what happened?" asked Scott.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Scott nodded his head.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Scott nodded his head.

Hugh

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

From this reading "We had no fuel," said Hugh.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "We had no fuel," said Hugh.

noddedverbUS /ˈnɑːdəd/

inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding

From this reading Scott nodded his head.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "We had no fuel," said Hugh.

ScottnounUS /skɑːt/

award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading "But what happened?" asked Scott.

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading What happened to the ship?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading What happened to the ship?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading What happened to the ship?"

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "We had no fuel," said Hugh.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "But what happened?" asked Scott.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading "Why didn't you come back?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Why didn't you come back?

Chapter 2 of Message From Mars by Clifford D. Simak holds 449 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.

What does chapter 2 of Message From Mars contain?

Chapter 2 holds 449 sentences of Message From Mars, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Message From Mars by Clifford D. Simak exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Message From Mars?

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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Message From Mars

Common questions about reading Message From Mars by Clifford D. Simak on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Message From Mars?

Yes. All 923 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62357 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Message From Mars is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62357, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Message From Mars take to read?

About 76 minutes of reading across 185 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Message From Mars section by section

How to work through Message From Mars section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Message From Mars 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 Message From Mars

Words and structures a reader meets early in Message From Mars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fifty-five
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Message From Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pioneers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Message From Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bridge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Message From Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bones
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Message From Mars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.