Chapter 3 of Needler is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Needler is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Roysland shot to his feet. "Good! Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!" He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading. Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
Chapter 3 of Needler is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading “Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.”
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading “Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.”
by chance
From this reading “Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"”
-ing form of “needle” — annoy or provoke, as by constant criticism
From this reading “Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"”
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
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.
break a piece from a whole
In this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
In this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
move forward or upward in order to touch; also in a metaphorical sense
In this reading “He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.”
In this reading “Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"”
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.
later than; following
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
in a benevolent manner
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Roysland shot to his feet.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
destroyed or killed
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Good!
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Roysland shot to his feet.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
by chance
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
-ing form of “needle” — annoy or provoke, as by constant criticism
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Roysland shot to his feet.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Roysland shot to his feet.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
not in physical motion
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Roysland got the impression that his smile, Cheshirelike, still lingered after he had gone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Roysland shot to his feet.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He reached out to snap off the solidiphone switch, but Eckisster, still smiling benevolently, was already fading.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Maybe I could get some work done, myself, if you weren't around needling me!"
Chapter 3 of Needler by Randall Garrett holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 3 holds 401 sentences of Needler, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Needler by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 3 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 Needler by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Needler section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Needler 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 Needler, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
