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Spawning Ground
Spawning Ground

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Spawning Ground is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Spawning Ground
Context Illustration Reading 1/62 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They weren't human.
They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!
The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.
She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.
Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.
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.

Spawning Ground

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Spawning Ground is here in full — 311 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/62 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
They weren't human.
Line 2
They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!
Line 3
The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.
/ðə ˈstɑːrʃɪp pænˈdɔːrə kriːkt ənd ɡroʊnd æz hɜːr ˈlændɪŋ pædz ˈsetəld əˈniːvənli ɪn ðə ˈmʌki ˈsɜːrfəs ʌv ðə ˈʌɡli wɜːrld ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/
Line 4
She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.
/ʃiː siːmd tuː biː ˈrestləs tuː end hɜːr fuːlz ˈerənd hiːr tuː ˈhʌndrəd laɪt jɪrz frʌm ðə ˈweɪtɪŋ hɔːrdz ɑːn ɜːrθ/
Line 5
Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

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.

fool's noun US /fuːlz/

possessive form of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading “She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.”

hallways noun US /ˈhɔːlweɪz/

plural of “hallway” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading “Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.”

humanity's noun US /hjuːˈmænɪtiz/

possessive form of “humanity” — the quality of being humane

From this reading “They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!”

mucky adjective US /ˈmʌki/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading “The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.”

pads noun US /pædz/

plural of “pad” — a number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge

From this reading “The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.”

Pandora noun US /pænˈdɔːrə/

(Greek mythology) the first woman; created by Hephaestus on orders from Zeus who presented her to Epimetheus along with a box filled with evils

Starship noun US /ˈstɑːrʃɪp/

a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)

From this reading “The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.”

unevenly adverb US /əˈniːvənli/

in an uneven and irregular way

From this reading “The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

metal plates noun + noun counted as “metal plate”

In this reading “Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.”

fool's errand noun + noun counted as “fool errand”

In this reading “She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.”

two hundred noun + noun

being ten more than one hundred ninety

In this reading “She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.”

on Earth preposition + noun

used with question words to convey surprise

In this reading “She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.”

echoed through verb + particle counted as “echo through”

In this reading “Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

creakedverbUS /kriːkt/

past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/

past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

errandnounUS /ˈerənd/

a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

fool'snounUS /fuːlz/

possessive form of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

groanedverbUS /ɡroʊnd/

past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

hallwaysnounUS /ˈhɔːlweɪz/

plural of “hallway” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

hopesnounUS /hoʊps/

plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

hordesnounUS /hɔːrdz/

plural of “horde” — a vast multitude

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading They weren't human.

humanity'snounUS /hjuːˈmænɪtiz/

possessive form of “humanity” — the quality of being humane

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

metalnounUS /ˈmetəl/

any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

muckyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌki/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

padsnounUS /pædz/

plural of “pad” — a number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

PandoranounUS /pænˈdɔːrə/

(Greek mythology) the first woman; created by Hephaestus on orders from Zeus who presented her to Epimetheus along with a box filled with evils

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

platesnounUS /pleɪts/

plural of “plate” — (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

restlessadjectiveUS /ˈrestləs/

worried and uneasy

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

StarshipnounUS /ˈstɑːrʃɪp/

a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

StrainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/

an intense or violent exertion

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

survivalnounUS /sərˈvaɪvəl/

a state of surviving; remaining alive

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They weren't human.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

twanged

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

From this reading Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

uglyadjectiveUS /ˈʌɡli/

displeasing to the senses

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

unevenlyadverbUS /əˈniːvənli/

in an uneven and irregular way

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They were something more--and something less--they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!

weren't

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

From this reading They weren't human.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth.

Chapter 1 of Spawning Ground by Lester Del Rey holds 311 sentences, grouped into 63 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 Spawning Ground contain?

Chapter 1 holds 311 sentences of Spawning Ground, unabridged, divided into 63 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Spawning Ground by Lester Del Rey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 311 sentences, grouped into 63 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 Spawning Ground?

Work through the 63 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 63 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 Spawning Ground

Common questions about reading Spawning Ground by Lester Del Rey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Spawning Ground?

Yes. All 311 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61052 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Spawning Ground is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #61052, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Spawning Ground take to read?

About 25 minutes of reading across 63 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Spawning Ground section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Spawning Ground 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 Spawning Ground

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

Weren't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spawning Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Human
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spawning Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Something
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spawning Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
More--and
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spawning Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.