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Skyrider
Skyrider

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Skyrider is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Skyrider
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.
I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.
I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.
If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.
I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Skyrider

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Skyrider is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.
Line 2
I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.
Line 3
I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.
Line 4
If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.
/ɪf ʃiː ɡriːts miː fer æz aɪ raɪd ðə er tuː miːt hɜːr aɪ wɪl stɔːl/
Line 5
I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

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.

brand noun US /brænd/

a name given to a product or service

From this reading “I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.”

cars noun US /kɑːrz/

plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading “I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.”

Fischer noun US /ˈfɪʃər/

German chemist noted for his synthesis of hemin (1881-1945)

From this reading “with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.”

foam noun US /foʊm/

a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid

From this reading “with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.”

greets verb US /ɡriːts/

third-person singular of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading “If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.”

Mars noun US /mɑːrz/

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

From this reading “I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.”

stall noun US /stɔːl/

a compartment in a stable where a single animal is confined and fed

From this reading “If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.”

Venus noun US /ˈviːnəs/

the second nearest planet to the sun

From this reading “I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

Anton

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

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

BearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

brandnounUS /brænd/

a name given to a product or service

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

carsnounUS /kɑːrz/

plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

FischernounUS /ˈfɪʃər/

German chemist noted for his synthesis of hemin (1881-1945)

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

foamnounUS /foʊm/

a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

frontispiecenoun

an ornamental facade

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

greetsverbUS /ɡriːts/

third-person singular of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

I'll

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

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

MarsnounUS /mɑːrz/

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

Otto

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

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

RollingadjectiveUS /ˈroʊlɪŋ/

uttered with a trill

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

stallnounUS /stɔːl/

a compartment in a stable where a single animal is confined and fed

From this reading If she greets me fair as I ride the air, To meet her I will stall.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading I'll brand each star with the Rolling R, And lead the Great Bear home.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

VenusnounUS /ˈviːnəs/

the second nearest planet to the sun

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

volplane

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

From this reading I'll circle high--as if passing by-- Then volplane, bank, and land.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I'll circle Mars to beat the cars, On Venus I will call.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading with frontispiece by Anton Otto Fischer Before I die, I'll ride the sky; I'll part the clouds like foam.

Chapter 1 of Skyrider by B. M. Bower holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Skyrider contain?

Chapter 1 holds 417 sentences of Skyrider, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Skyrider by B. M. Bower exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Skyrider?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 Skyrider

Common questions about reading Skyrider by B. M. Bower on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Skyrider?

Yes. All 4564 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16871 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Skyrider is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16871, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Skyrider take to read?

About 380 minutes of reading across 913 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Skyrider section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Skyrider 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 Skyrider

Words and structures a reader meets early in Skyrider, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Frontispiece
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Skyrider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Skyrider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fischer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Skyrider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clouds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Skyrider; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.