Chapter 12 of Operation Interstellar is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Operation Interstellar is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel. Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale. It was beginning to smell a bit, now. Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven. His senses were beginning to numb.
Chapter 12 of Operation Interstellar is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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 device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading “Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.”
lacking sensation
From this reading “His senses were beginning to numb.”
sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
From this reading “Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.”
possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading “Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.”
of or relating to or resembling the physical or orbital characteristics of a planet or the planets
From this reading “Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.”
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading “It was beginning to smell a bit, now.”
relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun
From this reading “Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.”
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age
From this reading “Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.”
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 “Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.”
In this reading “Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.”
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 It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His senses were beginning to numb.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
and nothing more
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
lacking sensation
From this reading His senses were beginning to numb.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
of or relating to or resembling the physical or orbital characteristics of a planet or the planets
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
express in words
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading His senses were beginning to numb.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
a person, without saying who
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age
From this reading Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nine days had passed according to the Solar clock on Paul's instrument panel.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was beginning to smell a bit, now.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His senses were beginning to numb.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Nine days with the air slowly becoming stale.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Paul did not notice it particularly, but someone just in from a planetary atmosphere would say that the air reeked to high heaven.
Chapter 12 of Operation Interstellar by George O. (George Oliver) Smith holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 12 holds 203 sentences of Operation Interstellar, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Operation Interstellar by George O. (George Oliver) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 12 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 Operation Interstellar by George O. (George Oliver) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3893 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50406 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50406, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 324 minutes of reading across 779 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Operation Interstellar section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Operation Interstellar 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 Operation Interstellar, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
