Chapter 4 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Tripler's actually on the other side of the city. I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go. They'll take care of it." "I don't have any money for fare." She laughed.
Chapter 4 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 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.
in actual fact
From this reading “"Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.”
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “They'll take care of it."”
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading “"Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.”
an agenda of things to do
From this reading “"I don't have any money for fare."”
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading “I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.”
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading “She laughed.”
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading “"I don't have any money for fare."”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.”
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.
be careful, prudent, or watchful
In this reading “They'll take care of it."”
In this reading “"Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.”
In this reading “"I don't have any money for fare."”
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.
in actual fact
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading They'll take care of it."
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
an agenda of things to do
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They'll take care of it."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading She laughed.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "I don't have any money for fare."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She laughed.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
carry out
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
express in words
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They'll take care of it."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tripler's actually on the other side of the city.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
in or at the place that
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I'll take you to the gate; then you tell them where you want to go.
Chapter 4 of Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl holds 444 sentences, grouped into 89 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 4 holds 444 sentences of Plague of Pythons, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 444 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 4 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.
