Chapter 3 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked. "Possessed!" Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat. "Stop them! You--Guy--look!"
Chapter 3 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
harsh or corrosive in tone
From this reading “Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.”
past form of “bellow” — shout loudly and without restraint
From this reading “Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.”
United States writer of detective thrillers featuring the character of Philip Marlowe (1888-1959)
From this reading “Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.”
the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)
From this reading “They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.”
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading “They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.”
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading “Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.”
arranged in a stack
From this reading “They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.”
a small amount (especially of food or wine)
From this reading “Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.”
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.
harsh or corrosive in tone
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
past form of “bellow” — shout loudly and without restraint
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
United States writer of detective thrillers featuring the character of Philip Marlowe (1888-1959)
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading You--Guy--look!"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading You--Guy--look!"
the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading "Possessed!"
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
arranged in a stack
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading "Stop them!
a small amount (especially of food or wine)
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Stop them!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
in the direction of
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
in or at the place that
From this reading They were marching toward the corner of the room where the rifles were stacked.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Chandler bellowed, the words tasting of acid as they ripped out of his throat.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You--Guy--look!"
Chapter 3 of Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 440 sentences of Plague of Pythons, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3071 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51804 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51804, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 255 minutes of reading across 615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Plague of Pythons section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Plague of Pythons 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 Plague of Pythons, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
