Chapter 1 of Saline Solution is here in full — 672 sentences across 135 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Saline Solution is here in full — 672 sentences across 135 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Blast you, Retief! Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse! Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents. "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said. "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
Chapter 1 of Saline Solution is here in full — 672 sentences across 135 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/134 · 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.
diplomatic building that serves as the residence or workplace of a consul
From this reading “"The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.”
relating to or characteristic of diplomacy
From this reading “Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!”
having or resembling a finger or fingers; often used in combination
From this reading “Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.”
with extreme care or delicacy
From this reading “Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.”
bring about abruptly
From this reading “"I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.”
plural of “responsibility” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading “"The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.”
engagingly stimulating or provocative
From this reading “Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!”
a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
From this reading “Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.”
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.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
make a strident sound
From this reading Blast you, Retief!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
diplomatic building that serves as the residence or workplace of a consul
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
an army unit usually consisting of two or more divisions and their support
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
relating to or characteristic of diplomacy
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
bring shame or dishonor upon
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
plural of “document” — writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
worn or shabby from overuse or (of pages) from having corners turned down
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
possessive form of “earth” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
having or resembling a finger or fingers; often used in combination
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
with extreme care or delicacy
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
death of a person
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
to a considerable degree
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
plural of “joke” — a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
bring about abruptly
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
plural of “responsibility” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading "The Consulate has grave responsibilities here in the Belt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Blast you, Retief!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
done under pressure
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
engagingly stimulating or provocative
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
From this reading Consul-General Magnan gingerly fingered the heavily rubber-banded sheaf of dog-eared documents.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I haven't rushed into precipitate action on this claim, Retief," he said.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Blast you, Retief!
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Your violent ways are the disgrace of Earth's diplomatic corps--but your salty jokes are worse!
Chapter 1 of Saline Solution by Keith Laumer holds 672 sentences, grouped into 135 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 1 holds 672 sentences of Saline Solution, unabridged, divided into 135 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Saline Solution by Keith Laumer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 672 sentences, grouped into 135 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 135 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 135 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 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.
Common questions about reading Saline Solution by Keith Laumer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 672 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61353 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61353, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 56 minutes of reading across 135 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Saline Solution section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Saline Solution 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 Saline Solution, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
