Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Micromegas is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
VOLTAIRE. RUE JACOB, No 24. PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC. BY M. BEUCHOT. VOLUME XXXIII.
Micromegas
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Micromegas is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
VOLTAIRE.
RUE
JACOB,
No
24.
PREFACES,
CAUTIONS,
NOTES,
ETC.
BY
M.
BEUCHOT.
VOLUME
XXXIII.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Micromegas
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Micromegas is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
VOLTAIRE.
/voʊlˈter/
Line 2
RUE
JACOB,
No
24.
Line 3
PREFACES,
CAUTIONS,
NOTES,
ETC.
Line 4
BY
M.
BEUCHOT.
Line 5
VOLUME
XXXIII.
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.
cautions
noun
US /ˈkɔːʃənz/
plural of “caution” — the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading “PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC.”
jacob
noun
US /ˈdʒeɪkəb/
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading “RUE JACOB, No 24.”
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading “PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC.”
rue
noun
US /ruː/
European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy
From this reading “RUE JACOB, No 24.”
voltaire
noun
US /voʊlˈter/
French writer who was the embodiment of 18th century Enlightenment (1694-1778)
From this reading “VOLTAIRE.”
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “VOLUME XXXIII.”
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.
All words in this reading · 14
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.
24
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RUE JACOB, No 24.
BEUCHOT
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY M. BEUCHOT.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY M. BEUCHOT.
CAUTIONSnounUS /ˈkɔːʃənz/
plural of “caution” — the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC.
ETC
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC.
JACOBnounUS /ˈdʒeɪkəb/
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading RUE JACOB, No 24.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading BY M. BEUCHOT.
not any; not one
From this reading RUE JACOB, No 24.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC.
PREFACES
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PREFACES, CAUTIONS, NOTES, ETC.
RUEnounUS /ruː/
European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy
From this reading RUE JACOB, No 24.
VOLTAIREnounUS /voʊlˈter/
French writer who was the embodiment of 18th century Enlightenment (1694-1778)
From this reading VOLTAIRE.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading VOLUME XXXIII.
XXXIIIadjective
being three more than thirty
From this reading VOLUME XXXIII.
Chapter 1 of Micromegas by Voltaire holds 42 sentences, grouped into 9 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 Micromegas contain?
Chapter 1 holds 42 sentences of Micromegas, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Micromegas by Voltaire exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 42 sentences, grouped into 9 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 Micromegas?
Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 Micromegas
Common questions about reading Micromegas by Voltaire on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Micromegas?
Yes. All 414 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30123 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Micromegas is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #30123, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Micromegas take to read?
About 34 minutes of reading across 83 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Micromegas section by section
How to work through Micromegas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Micromegas to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Vocabulary met early in Micromegas
Words and structures a reader meets early in Micromegas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Voltaire
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Micromegas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Jacob
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Micromegas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Prefaces
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Micromegas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Cautions
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Micromegas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.