Chapter 1 of Security is here in full — 527 sentences across 106 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Security is here in full — 527 sentences across 106 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure. A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space. Or loyalty may prove to be high treason. But it has its rewards. It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
Chapter 1 of Security is here in full — 527 sentences across 106 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/105 · 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.
a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
From this reading “It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.”
the quality of being loyal
From this reading “Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.”
plural of “reward” — a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading “But it has its rewards.”
get by special effort
From this reading “In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.”
the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading “In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.”
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading “It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.”
a crime that undermines the offender's government
From this reading “Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.”
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading “A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
of the greatest importance
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it has its rewards.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
at any time
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But it has its rewards.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it has its rewards.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading But it has its rewards.
a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
the quality of being loyal
From this reading Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.
plural of “reward” — a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading But it has its rewards.
precisely, exactly
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
get by special effort
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
a crime that undermines the offender's government
From this reading Or loyalty may prove to be high treason.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
at the time that
From this reading It had been a tough day at the lab, one of those days when nothing seems able to go right.
in or at the place that
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure.
Chapter 1 of Security by Poul Anderson holds 527 sentences, grouped into 106 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 527 sentences of Security, unabridged, divided into 106 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Security by Poul Anderson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 527 sentences, grouped into 106 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 106 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 106 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 Security by Poul Anderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1034 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22239 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22239, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 86 minutes of reading across 207 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Security section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Security 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 Security, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
