Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Space Platform
Space Platform

Chapter VII

Cover illustration for Space Platform
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.
This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.
It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.
Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.
They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.
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.

Space Platform

Chapter VII

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.
Line 2
This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.
Line 3
It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.
Line 4
Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.
Line 5
They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.”

All words in this reading · 58

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

air-circulation

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

came

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

carefully

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

centered

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

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.

control

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

controls

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

corridors

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

drive

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

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.

Earth

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

engine

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

felt

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

fluid

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

gyros

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

From this reading Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.

helping

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

installed

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

From this reading Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

Joe

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

main

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

From this reading Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.

motors

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

natural

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

Off

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

From this reading Off the engine room the main gyros were already installed.

only

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

pilot

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

place

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

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.

Platform

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

powered

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

pumps

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

room

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

rudder

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

Sally

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

service

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

ship's

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

steering

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

system

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

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

two

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

very

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

waited

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

From this reading They waited only for the pilot gyros to control them as a steering engine controls an Earth ship's rudder.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.

wasn't

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

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.

way

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

From this reading The two of them--and the way they both felt, it seemed natural for Joe to be helping Sally very carefully through the corridors of the Platform--the two of them came to the engine room.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It was where the service motors and the air-circulation system and the fluid pumps were powered.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading This wasn't the place where the drive of the Platform was centered.