Chapter 1 of Occasion ... for Disaster is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Occasion ... for Disaster is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Wait a minute," Malone said. "Check and repair them?" "Of course," Fred said. "But I don't want them repaired," Malone said. Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
Chapter 1 of Occasion ... for Disaster is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading “"Check and repair them?"”
plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.”
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading “Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.”
intense and profound fear
From this reading “Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.”
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “"Wait a minute," Malone said.”
the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading “"Check and repair them?"”
past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “"But I don't want them repaired," Malone said.”
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading “Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.”
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.
In this reading “Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.”
as might be expected
In this reading “"Of course," Fred said.”
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 "Wait a minute," Malone said.
in actual fact
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Check and repair them?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But I don't want them repaired," Malone said.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading "Check and repair them?"
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course," Fred said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But I don't want them repaired," Malone said.
plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Of course," Fred said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
intense and profound fear
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But I don't want them repaired," Malone said.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading "Wait a minute," Malone said.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading "Wait a minute," Malone said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of course," Fred said.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
and nothing more
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading "Check and repair them?"
past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading "But I don't want them repaired," Malone said.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Wait a minute," Malone said.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Check and repair them?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Wait a minute," Malone said.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "But I don't want them repaired," Malone said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Seeing the look of horror on Fred's face, he added hastily: "I only want a report from you on what's wrong, whether they are actually making errors or not.
Chapter 1 of Occasion ... for Disaster by Randall Garrett holds 413 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.
Chapter 1 holds 413 sentences of Occasion ... for Disaster, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Occasion ... for Disaster by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Occasion ... for Disaster by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6068 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30434 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30434, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 505 minutes of reading across 1214 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Occasion ... for Disaster section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Occasion ... for Disaster 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 Occasion ... for Disaster, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
