Chapter 7 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that! You call it murder. It is, of course. But it's the surgeon's knife. We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
Chapter 7 of Plague of Pythons is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 a serious manner
From this reading “She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!”
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading “But it's the surgeon's knife.”
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading “We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?”
more quickly
From this reading “We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?”
a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period
From this reading “We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?”
possessive form of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery
From this reading “But it's the surgeon's knife.”
below the required standards for a purpose
From this reading “We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?”
-ing form of “weed” — clear of weeds
From this reading “We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?”
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 “We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?”
as might be expected
In this reading “It is, of course.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
any thing at all
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it's the surgeon's knife.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading You call it murder.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading It is, of course.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
in a serious manner
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is, of course.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You call it murder.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it's the surgeon's knife.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading But it's the surgeon's knife.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading You call it murder.
not any; not one
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is, of course.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
more quickly
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
cut with a saw
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
possessive form of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery
From this reading But it's the surgeon's knife.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But it's the surgeon's knife.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading She saw his expression and said earnestly, "No, don't think that!
below the required standards for a purpose
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
-ing form of “weed” — clear of weeds
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading We're quicker and less painful than starvation, love ... and if some of us enjoy the work of weeding out the unfit, does that change anything?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You call it murder.
Chapter 7 of Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 7 holds 427 sentences of Plague of Pythons, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Plague of Pythons by Frederik Pohl exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 7 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.
