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Once Upon A Planet
Once Upon A Planet

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Once Upon A Planet is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Once Upon A Planet
Context Illustration Reading 1/95 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.
But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.
The warlord's name was Miotis.
Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.
Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.
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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.

Once Upon A Planet

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Once Upon A Planet is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/95 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.
Line 2
But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.
/bʌt wʌt hiː sɔː ɑːn ðɪs ˈplænət kɑːzd hɪm tuː fiːl ˈdɪfrəntli wʌns əˈpɑːn ə ˈplænət ðer wɑːz ə ˈmaɪti ˈwɔːrlɔːrd/
Line 3
The warlord's name was Miotis.
Line 4
Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.
Line 5
Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

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.

caused verb US /kɑːzd/

past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

From this reading “But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.”

differently adverb US /ˈdɪfrəntli/

in another and different manner

From this reading “But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.”

odd adjective US /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading “Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.”

planet noun US /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading “But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.”

probable adjective US /ˈprɑːbəbəl/

likely but not certain to be or become true or real

From this reading “Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.”

recapture verb US /riˈkæptʃər/

experience anew

From this reading “[Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.”

Smith noun US /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading “Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.”

warlord noun US /ˈwɔːrlɔːrd/

supreme military leader exercising civil power in a region especially one accountable to nobody when the central government is weak

From this reading “But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.”

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.

feel differently verb + particle

In this reading “But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.”

important thing adjective + noun

In this reading “Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.”

mighty King adjective + noun

In this reading “[Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.”

came down verb + adjective counted as “come down”

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “[Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.”

name of verb + particle

In this reading “Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.”

feel about verb + particle

In this reading “Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

Beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

causedverbUS /kɑːzd/

past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

differentlyadverbUS /ˈdɪfrəntli/

in another and different manner

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

entirelyadverbUS /ɪnˈtaɪərli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

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

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

Jenkovitz

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

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

Miotis

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

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The warlord's name was Miotis.

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

probableadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːbəbəl/

likely but not certain to be or become true or real

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

recaptureverbUS /riˈkæptʃər/

experience anew

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

Sidenote

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

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading [Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture his lost desire for war.

warlordnounUS /ˈwɔːrlɔːrd/

supreme military leader exercising civil power in a region especially one accountable to nobody when the central government is weak

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

warlord's

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

From this reading The warlord's name was Miotis.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feel differently.] Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirely probable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith or Jenkovitz odd.

Chapter 1 of Once Upon A Planet by J. J. Allerton holds 479 sentences, grouped into 96 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 1 of Once Upon A Planet contain?

Chapter 1 holds 479 sentences of Once Upon A Planet, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Once Upon A Planet by J. J. Allerton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 479 sentences, grouped into 96 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 1 of Once Upon A Planet?

Work through the 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 96 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Once Upon A Planet

Common questions about reading Once Upon A Planet by J. J. Allerton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Once Upon A Planet?

Yes. All 479 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32785 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Once Upon A Planet is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32785, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Once Upon A Planet take to read?

About 39 minutes of reading across 96 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Once Upon A Planet section by section

How to work through Once Upon A Planet section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Once Upon A Planet 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 Once Upon A Planet

Words and structures a reader meets early in Once Upon A Planet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sidenote
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once Upon A Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mighty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once Upon A Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Miotis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once Upon A Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Earth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Once Upon A Planet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.