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Problem on Balak
Problem on Balak

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Problem on Balak is here in full — 273 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Problem on Balak
Context Illustration Reading 1/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.
It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.
Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.
You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.
And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Problem on Balak

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Problem on Balak is here in full — 273 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.
Line 2
It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.
Line 3
Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.
Line 4
You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.
Line 5
And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

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.

cinch noun US /sɪntʃ/

any undertaking that is easy to do

From this reading “And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.”

complement noun US /ˈkɑːmpləmənt/

a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction

From this reading “You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.”

Galaxy noun US /ˈɡæləksi/

a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)

From this reading “You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.”

light-years noun US /ˈlaɪtjɪrz/

plural of “light-year” — the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1 year; 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers

From this reading “Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.”

neural adjective US /ˈnʊrəl/

of or relating to the nervous system

From this reading “You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.”

Solar adjective US /ˈsoʊlər/

relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun

From this reading “[Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.”

structural adjective US /ˈstrʌktʃərəl/

relating to or caused by structure, especially political or economic structure

From this reading “You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.”

surgeons noun US /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading “You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.”

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.

run across verb + particle

come together

In this reading “You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.”

for example preposition + noun

as an example

In this reading “Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.”

strange places adjective + noun counted as “strange place”

In this reading “It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.”

All words in this reading · 98

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.

20,000

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

2100

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

70

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

anticipatedadjectiveUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪd/

expected hopefully

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

applenounUS /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

Balak

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

cinchnounUS /sɪntʃ/

any undertaking that is easy to do

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

circlingverbUS /ˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “circle” — travel around something

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

complementnounUS /ˈkɑːmpləmənt/

a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

don't

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

examplenounUS /ɪɡˈzæmpəl/

an item of information that is typical of a class or group

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

Exploitations

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

fieldnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

GalaxynounUS /ˈɡæləksi/

a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

getsnounUS /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

handedadjectiveUS /ˈhændəd/

having or involving the use of hands

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

I'm

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

it's

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

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

life-and-deathadjective

vitally important

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

light-yearsnounUS /ˈlaɪtjɪrz/

plural of “light-year” — the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1 year; 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

miraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/

any amazing or wonderful occurrence

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

neuraladjectiveUS /ˈnʊrəl/

of or relating to the nervous system

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

Ophiuchi

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

problemnounUS /ˈprɑːbləm/

a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

prophecynounUS /ˈprɒf.ə.si/

A prediction of what will happen in the future, often divinely or magically inspired.

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

Sidenote

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

SolaradjectiveUS /ˈsoʊlər/

relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

solveverbUS /sɑːlv/

find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

solvedadjectiveUS /sɑːlvd/

explained or answered

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

stiffadjectiveUS /stɪf/

not moving or operating freely

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It never gets dull--and in some pretty strange places, at that.

structuraladjectiveUS /ˈstrʌktʃərəl/

relating to or caused by structure, especially political or economic structure

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

surgeonsnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

TakeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading And, if by some miracle of prophecy you anticipated both, it's a cinch you'd never expect that problem to be solved in the way ours was.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Take the _S.E.2100's_ discovery of Balak, which is a little planet circling 70 Ophiuchi some 20,000 light-years from Earth, for example.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

worryverbUS /ˈwɜːri/

be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

You'd

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

From this reading You'd never expect to run across the greatest race of surgeons in the Galaxy--structural, neural or what have you--on a little apple like that, any more than you'd expect a four man complement like ours to be handed the sort of life-and-death problem they put to us.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading [Sidenote: _Sometimes you can solve your problem by running out on it!_] What I'm getting at is that you don't ever have to worry about being bored stiff in Solar Exploitations field work.

Chapter 1 of Problem on Balak by Roger D. Aycock holds 273 sentences, grouped into 55 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 Problem on Balak contain?

Chapter 1 holds 273 sentences of Problem on Balak, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Problem on Balak by Roger D. Aycock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 273 sentences, grouped into 55 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 Problem on Balak?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 Problem on Balak

Common questions about reading Problem on Balak by Roger D. Aycock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Problem on Balak?

Yes. All 273 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33839 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Problem on Balak is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33839, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Problem on Balak take to read?

About 22 minutes of reading across 55 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Problem on Balak section by section

How to work through Problem on Balak section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Problem on Balak 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 Problem on Balak

Words and structures a reader meets early in Problem on Balak, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sidenote
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problem on Balak; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sometimes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problem on Balak; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Solve
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problem on Balak; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Problem
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Problem on Balak; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.