Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Nomad
Nomad

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of Nomad is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Nomad
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.
"The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.
"Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.
No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.
Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Nomad

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of Nomad is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.
/wʌt meɪ wiː ɡeɪn baɪ ˈfaɪtɪŋ əˈmʌŋ aʊərˈselvz æskt ɡaɪ/
Line 2
"The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.
Line 3
"Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.
Line 4
No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.
/noʊ ˈmætər wʌt juː kɔːl ðem ðeɪ ɑːr ˈæbsəluːt ˈænərkiː ənd ˈæbsəluːt ˈtɪrəni ənd bɪˈtwiːn ðiːz tuː laɪ ˈevəri ˈʌðər fɔːrm ʌv ˈɡʌvərmənt/
Line 5
Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.
/ˈɑːbviəsli kəmˈpliːt ˈænərkiː ɪz ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl æt ðə ˈprezənt ˈlevəl ʌv ˈhjuːmən ˈneɪtʃər/

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.

absolute adjective US /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading “No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.”

anarchy noun US /ˈænərkiː/

a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)

From this reading “No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.”

extremes noun US /ekˈstriːmz/

plural of “extreme” — the furthest or highest degree of something

From this reading “"Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.”

gain verb US /ɡeɪn/

obtain

From this reading “"What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.”

Guy noun US /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading “"What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.”

Obviously adverb US /ˈɑːbviəsli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading “Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.”

thoughtfully adverb US /ˈθɔːtfəli/

in a thoughtful manner

From this reading “"The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.”

tyranny noun US /ˈtɪrəni/

a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

From this reading “No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.”

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.

human nature adjective + noun

the shared psychological attributes of humankind that are assumed to be shared by all human beings

In this reading “Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.”

gain by verb + particle

In this reading “"What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

anarchynounUS /ˈænərkiː/

a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

Charalas

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

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

ConsiderverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading "Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.

Elanane

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

From this reading "Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

extremesnounUS /ekˈstriːmz/

plural of “extreme” — the furthest or highest degree of something

From this reading "Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.

fightingnounUS /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

gainverbUS /ɡeɪn/

obtain

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

governmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading "Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.

GuynounUS /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

levelnounUS /ˈlevəl/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

ObviouslyadverbUS /ˈɑːbviəsli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Consider, Elanane, the extremes of government.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Obviously complete anarchy is impossible at the present level of human nature.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

thoughtfullyadverbUS /ˈθɔːtfəli/

in a thoughtful manner

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

tyrannynounUS /ˈtɪrəni/

a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "The right way to live," said Charalas thoughtfully.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What may we gain by fighting among ourselves?" asked Guy.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading No matter what you call them, they are absolute anarchy and absolute tyranny, and between these two lie every other form of government.

Chapter 13 of Nomad by George O. (George Oliver) Smith holds 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 13 of Nomad contain?

Chapter 13 holds 420 sentences of Nomad, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of Nomad by George O. (George Oliver) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 13 of Nomad?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Nomad

Common questions about reading Nomad by George O. (George Oliver) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Nomad?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Nomad is used?

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

How long does Nomad take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Nomad section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Nomad 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 Nomad

Words and structures a reader meets early in Nomad, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Nomad, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Nomad, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Nomad, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.