Chapter 9 of Starman's Quest is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Starman's Quest is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Gainer raised one hand. "Don't misunderstand, son. I'm not here as a criminal investigator. We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt." "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
Chapter 9 of Starman's Quest is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
gotten under control
From this reading “"Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.”
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
From this reading “I'm not here as a criminal investigator.”
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading “"Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.”
a person who gains weight
From this reading “Gainer raised one hand.”
a scientist who devotes himself to doing research
From this reading “I'm not here as a criminal investigator.”
interpret in the wrong way
From this reading “"Don't misunderstand, son.”
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading “We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."”
past form of “unfold” — develop or come to a promising stage
From this reading “"Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.”
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 I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
gotten under control
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
From this reading I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't misunderstand, son.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
a person who gains weight
From this reading Gainer raised one hand.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Gainer raised one hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
a scientist who devotes himself to doing research
From this reading I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
interpret in the wrong way
From this reading "Don't misunderstand, son.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I'm not here as a criminal investigator.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Gainer raised one hand.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Gainer raised one hand.
a male human offspring
From this reading "Don't misunderstand, son.
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
past form of “unfold” — develop or come to a promising stage
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Then why----" He drew an envelope from his breast pocket and unfolded the papers it contained.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading We don't suspect you had any part in the attempt."
Chapter 9 of Starman's Quest by Robert Silverberg holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 9 holds 401 sentences of Starman's Quest, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Starman's Quest by Robert Silverberg exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 9 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 Starman's Quest by Robert Silverberg on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4025 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27444 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27444, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 335 minutes of reading across 805 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Starman's Quest section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Starman's Quest 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 Starman's Quest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
