Chapter 3 of Occasion ... for Disaster is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Occasion ... for Disaster is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
O'Connor's lips tightened. "I have given my opinion," he said. "I do not believe that such a thing is possible. There must be some other explanation." "All right," Malone said agreeably.
Chapter 3 of Occasion ... for Disaster is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “There must be some other explanation."”
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading “"I have given my opinion," he said.”
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “O'Connor's lips tightened.”
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “"All right," Malone said agreeably.”
possessive form of “o'connor” — United States writer (1925-1964)
From this reading “O'Connor's lips tightened.”
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading “"I have given my opinion," he said.”
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “"I do not believe that such a thing is possible.”
past form of “tighten” — make tight or tighter
From this reading “O'Connor's lips tightened.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
in an enjoyable manner
From this reading "All right," Malone said agreeably.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "All right," Malone said agreeably.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There must be some other explanation."
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading There must be some other explanation."
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading O'Connor's lips tightened.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading "All right," Malone said agreeably.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading There must be some other explanation."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
possessive form of “o'connor” — United States writer (1925-1964)
From this reading O'Connor's lips tightened.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading There must be some other explanation."
capable of happening or existing
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "All right," Malone said agreeably.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I have given my opinion," he said.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There must be some other explanation."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There must be some other explanation."
a special situation
From this reading "I do not believe that such a thing is possible.
past form of “tighten” — make tight or tighter
From this reading O'Connor's lips tightened.
Chapter 3 of Occasion ... for Disaster by Randall Garrett holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 408 sentences of Occasion ... for Disaster, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Occasion ... for Disaster by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 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.
