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Out of the Earth
Out of the Earth

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Out of the Earth is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Out of the Earth
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_This is not a story about the Dero!
This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.
And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.
Death.
And these people were to die!
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Out of the Earth

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Out of the Earth is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_This is not a story about the Dero!
Line 2
This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.
Line 3
And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.
Line 4
Death.
/deθ/
Line 5
And these people were to die!
/ənd ðiːz ˈpiːpəl wɜːr tuː daɪ/

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.

courageous adjective US /kərˈeɪdʒəs/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading “And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.”

distant adjective US /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading “This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.”

elimination noun US /ɪˌlɪməˈneɪʃən/

the act of removing or getting rid of something

From this reading “And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.”

group noun US /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading “And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.”

haunting adjective US /ˈhɔːntɪŋ/

continually recurring to the mind

From this reading “This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.”

Myth noun US /mɪθ/

a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

From this reading “And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.”

persuasive adjective US /pərˈsweɪsɪv/

intended or having the power to induce action or belief

From this reading “This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.”

prove verb US /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading “And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.”

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.

little group adjective + noun

In this reading “And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.”

All words in this reading · 45

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 _This is not a story about the Dero!

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

BlackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

courageousadjectiveUS /kərˈeɪdʒəs/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

DeathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

Dero

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

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading And these people were to die!

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

eliminationnounUS /ɪˌlɪməˈneɪʃən/

the act of removing or getting rid of something

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

groupnounUS /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

hauntingadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪŋ/

continually recurring to the mind

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

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

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

MythnounUS /mɪθ/

a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

Offences

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

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

PassagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

persuasiveadjectiveUS /pərˈsweɪsɪv/

intended or having the power to induce action or belief

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

proveverbUS /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

StatenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

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

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading And these people were to die!

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading _This is not a story about the Dero!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And it is the story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove that Death was a Myth!_ Offences against the State meant elimination in the Black Passage.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading And these people were to die!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading This _is_ a story about a lost people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too distant future, who have been forgotten by history.

Chapter 1 of Out of the Earth by George Edrich holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Out of the Earth contain?

Chapter 1 holds 403 sentences of Out of the Earth, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Out of the Earth by George Edrich exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Out of the Earth?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 Out of the Earth

Common questions about reading Out of the Earth by George Edrich on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Out of the Earth?

Yes. All 403 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31597 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Out of the Earth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31597, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Out of the Earth take to read?

About 33 minutes of reading across 81 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Out of the Earth section by section

How to work through Out of the Earth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Out of the Earth 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 Out of the Earth

Words and structures a reader meets early in Out of the Earth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Out of the Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
People--a
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Out of the Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Persuasive
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Out of the Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Haunting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Out of the Earth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.