Chapter 3 of Space-Liner X-87 is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Space-Liner X-87 is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming. Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren. Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil. "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green. I dashed into the corridor.
Chapter 3 of Space-Liner X-87 is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
relating to or concerned with electricity
From this reading “Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.”
close at hand
From this reading “The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.”
so extremely intense as to evoke screams
From this reading “The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.”
a sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived
From this reading “Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.”
a violent disturbance
From this reading “Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.”
a small tower extending above a building
From this reading “Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.”
possessive form of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading “Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.”
move with a whining sound
From this reading “Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.”
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 “I dashed into the corridor.”
move upward
In this reading “"Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.”
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 The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
power to direct or determine
From this reading "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.
an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading I dashed into the corridor.
causing dejection
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
psychological suffering
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
relating to or concerned with electricity
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I dashed into the corridor.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
close at hand
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
so extremely intense as to evoke screams
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
a sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Go up to the control turret," I shouted at Green.
a violent disturbance
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
a small tower extending above a building
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
possessive form of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading Then from up at the turret, Mackensie turned on the vessel's distress siren.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
move with a whining sound
From this reading Its shrill, dismal electrical whine sounded above the turmoil.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The passengers were shouting now; from a nearby corridor entrance women were screaming.
Chapter 3 of Space-Liner X-87 by Ray Cummings holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 3 holds 423 sentences of Space-Liner X-87, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Space-Liner X-87 by Ray Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 3 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 Space-Liner X-87 by Ray Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1624 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61845 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61845, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 135 minutes of reading across 325 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Space-Liner X-87 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Space-Liner X-87 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 Space-Liner X-87, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
