Open Invitation

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Open Invitation is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. B. (Horace Bowne) Fyfe • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A Short Story by H. B. FYFE The problem was simple--or rather, simply stated: Zoya Lar-Tul must keep those nasty, aggressive little _Earthmen_ from discovering the location of his home-star....

As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

"Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

"Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

Narrator

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.

Chapter I Reading 1/49

Open Invitation H. B. (Horace Bowne) Fyfe

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Open Invitation is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A Short Story by H. B. FYFE The problem was simple--or rather, simply stated: Zoya Lar-Tul must keep those nasty, aggressive little _Earthmen_ from discovering the location of his home-star.... As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot. "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians. "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?" Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

Open Invitation

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Open Invitation is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A Short Story by H. B. FYFE The problem was simple--or rather, simply stated: Zoya Lar-Tul must keep those nasty, aggressive little _Earthmen_ from discovering the location of his home-star....

Line 2

As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

Line 3

"Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

/ˈfaɪər ənd draɪ sænd hiː swɔːr æt ðə tekˈnɪʃənz/

Line 4

"Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

Line 5

Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

/wɪˈθaʊt ˈweɪtɪŋ fɔːr æn ˈænsər hiː meɪd hɪz weɪ tuː ðə roʊ ʌv ˈʃæloʊ mʌd tʌbz bɪˈfɔːr ðə ˈteləvɪʒən skriːn/

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.

aggressive adjective US /əˈɡresɪv/

having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends

From this reading “A Short Story by H. B. FYFE The problem was simple--or rather, simply stated: Zoya Lar-Tul must keep those nasty, aggressive little _Earthmen_ from discovering the location of his home-star....”

communications noun US /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃənz/

the discipline that studies the principles of transmiting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc.)

From this reading “As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.”

decently adverb US /ˈdiːsəntli/

in a decent manner

From this reading “"Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"”

location noun US /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

technicians noun US /tekˈnɪʃənz/

plural of “technician” — someone whose occupation involves training in a specific technical process

From this reading “"Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.”

television noun US /ˈteləvɪʒən/

broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects

From this reading “Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.”

tentacles noun US /ˈtentəkəlz/

plural of “tentacle” — something that acts like a tentacle in its ability to grasp and hold

From this reading “As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.”

tubs noun US /tʌbz/

plural of “tub” — a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body

From this reading “Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.”

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.

dry sand noun + noun

In this reading “"Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.”

Without waiting preposition + noun

In this reading “Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.”

Short Story adjective + noun

a prose narrative shorter than a novel

In this reading “A Short Story by H. B. FYFE The problem was simple--or rather, simply stated: Zoya Lar-Tul must keep those nasty, aggressive little _Earthmen_ from discovering the location of his home-star....”

dry spot noun + noun

In this reading “As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 A Short Story by H. B. FYFE The problem was simple--or rather, simply stated: Zoya Lar-Tul must keep those nasty, aggressive little _Earthmen_ from discovering the location of his home-star....

aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/

having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

BnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

Can't

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

From this reading "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

chambernounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbər/

a natural or artificial enclosed space

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

communicationsnounUS /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃənz/

the discipline that studies the principles of transmiting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc.)

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

Dah-Gow

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

decentlyadverbUS /ˈdiːsəntli/

in a decent manner

From this reading "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

discoveringverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

Earthmen

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

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

FireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

footingnounUS /ˈfʊtɪŋ/

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

FYFE

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

HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

home-star

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

Lar-Tul

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

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

locationnounUS /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

moistadjectiveUS /mɔɪst/

slightly wet

From this reading "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

mudnounUS /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

nastyadjectiveUS /ˈnæsti/

offensive or even (of persons) malicious

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

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 As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

problemnounUS /ˈprɑːbləm/

a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

rownounUS /roʊ/

an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

sandnounUS /sænd/

a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

screennounUS /skriːn/

a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/

lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

ShortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

statedadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtɪd/

declared as fact; explicitly stated

StorynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

stuckadjectiveUS /stʌk/

caught or fixed

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

sworeverbUS /swɔːr/

inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

techniciansnounUS /tekˈnɪʃənz/

plural of “technician” — someone whose occupation involves training in a specific technical process

From this reading "Fire and dry sand!" he swore at the technicians.

televisionnounUS /ˈteləvɪʒən/

broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

tentaclesnounUS /ˈtentəkəlz/

plural of “tentacle” — something that acts like a tentacle in its ability to grasp and hold

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

tubsnounUS /tʌbz/

plural of “tub” — a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

Ullo

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

waddled

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

WithoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Without waiting for an answer, he made his way to the row of shallow mud tubs before the television screen.

Yaradir

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Can't you two even keep the footing decently moist?"

Zillor

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

From this reading As Ullo Dah-Gow waddled into the section communications chamber on Yaradir, second planet of Zillor, two of his four walking tentacles stuck slightly on a nearly dry spot.

Zoya

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

Chapter 1 of Open Invitation by H. B. (Horace Bowne) Fyfe holds 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 Open Invitation contain?

Chapter 1 holds 246 sentences of Open Invitation, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Open Invitation by H. B. (Horace Bowne) Fyfe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 Open Invitation?

Work through the 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 50 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 Open Invitation

Common questions about reading Open Invitation by H. B. (Horace Bowne) Fyfe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Open Invitation?

Yes. All 246 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64071 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Open Invitation is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #64071, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Open Invitation take to read?

About 20 minutes of reading across 50 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Open Invitation section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 1 chapters of Open Invitation to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Open Invitation

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

Short: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Open Invitation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Open Invitation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Problem: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Open Invitation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Simple--or: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Open Invitation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

What does chapter 1 of Open Invitation contain?

How do I study chapter 1 of Open Invitation?

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Open Invitation

How to read Open Invitation section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Open Invitation