Chapter 2 of Mirage for Planet X is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Mirage for Planet X is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Going once." A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits. For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked. Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes. There was no time for thought or argument.
Chapter 2 of Mirage for Planet X is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
past form of “bulge” — swell or protrude outwards
From this reading “Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.”
a list of acknowledgements of those who contributed to the creation of a film (usually run at the end of the film)
From this reading “A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.”
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading “Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.”
past form of “delve” — turn up, loosen, or remove earth
From this reading “A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.”
coming to understand something clearly and distinctly
From this reading “Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.”
the stealing of cattle
From this reading “Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.”
a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
From this reading “A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.”
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading “A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.”
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.
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 thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
From this reading There was no time for thought or argument.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
past form of “bulge” — swell or protrude outwards
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
a list of acknowledgements of those who contributed to the creation of a film (usually run at the end of the film)
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
past form of “delve” — turn up, loosen, or remove earth
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
the act of departing
From this reading "Going once."
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
a particular point in time
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no time for thought or argument.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
on one occasion
From this reading "Going once."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There was no time for thought or argument.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
coming to understand something clearly and distinctly
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
the stealing of cattle
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then crisp, rustling paper bulged his pocket, and realization bulged his eyes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no time for thought or argument.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There was no time for thought or argument.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For an awful moment he thought his pocket was being picked.
in or at the place that
From this reading A thrusting hand delved into Torry's pocket where he clutched grimly at his sheaf of paper credits.
Chapter 2 of Mirage for Planet X by Stanley Mullen holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 2 holds 408 sentences of Mirage for Planet X, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Mirage for Planet X by Stanley Mullen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 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.
Common questions about reading Mirage for Planet X by Stanley Mullen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1649 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63721 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #63721, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 137 minutes of reading across 330 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mirage for Planet X section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Mirage for Planet X 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 Mirage for Planet X, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
