Chapter 4 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 IV
Chapter 4 of Needler is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"They _what_?" Bilford shouted the question. "Died, Bilford, _died_," Eckisster said. "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor." "Good God!"
Chapter 4 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.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “"They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."”
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading “"Died, Bilford, _died_," Eckisster said.”
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “"Good God!"”
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “"Good God!"”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “Bilford shouted the question.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “"Died, Bilford, _died_," Eckisster said.”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Bilford shouted the question.”
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading “"They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bilford shouted the question.
the two together, not just one
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading "Died, Bilford, _died_," Eckisster said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Died, Bilford, _died_," Eckisster said.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "Good God!"
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Good God!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Bilford shouted the question.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Died, Bilford, _died_," Eckisster said.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading Bilford shouted the question.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They are both as dead as the surface of Syndor."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bilford shouted the question.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They _what_?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "They _what_?"
Chapter 4 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 4 holds 401 sentences of Needler, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 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 4 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.
