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Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War
Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
And this was what he sought.
But always the feel of them was cold.
He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
He must find it soon or perish.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
Line 2
And this was what he sought.
/ənd ðɪs wɑːz wʌt hiː sɔːt/
Line 3
But always the feel of them was cold.
/bʌt ˈɔːlweɪz ðə fiːl ʌv ðem wɑːz koʊld/
Line 4
He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
/hiː sɔːt æn ˈentrəns wɪtʃ led tuː ə ˈpæsədʒ/
Line 5
He must find it soon or perish.
/hiː mʌst faɪnd ɪt suːn ɔːr ˈperɪʃ/

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.

cracks noun US /kræks/

plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening

From this reading “He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.”

edges noun US /ˈedʒəz/

plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface

From this reading “He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.”

entrance noun US /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading “He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.”

fissures noun US /ˈfɪʃərz/

plural of “fissure” — a long narrow depression in a surface

From this reading “He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.”

ice noun US /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading “He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.”

perish verb US /ˈperɪʃ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading “He must find it soon or perish.”

sought adjective US /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading “And this was what he sought.”

uncovered adjective US /ənˈkʌvərd/

not covered with clothing

From this reading “He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.

chasms

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

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

cracksnounUS /kræks/

plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

edgesnounUS /ˈedʒəz/

plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading He must find it soon or perish.

fissuresnounUS /ˈfɪʃərz/

plural of “fissure” — a long narrow depression in a surface

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He must find it soon or perish.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

passagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

perishverbUS /ˈperɪʃ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading He must find it soon or perish.

rocknounUS /rɑːk/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading He must find it soon or perish.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading And this was what he sought.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And this was what he sought.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

uncoveredadjectiveUS /ənˈkʌvərd/

not covered with clothing

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And this was what he sought.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading And this was what he sought.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.

Chapter 5 of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War by Christopher Leadem holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War contain?

Chapter 5 holds 415 sentences of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War by Christopher Leadem exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War

Common questions about reading Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War by Christopher Leadem on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War?

Yes. All 6944 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13841 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13841, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War take to read?

About 578 minutes of reading across 1389 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War section by section

How to work through Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War

Words and structures a reader meets early in Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Oberheim
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Voices
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chronicle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Andersen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.