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Syndrome
Syndrome

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Syndrome is here in full — 34 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Syndrome
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.
It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.
Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.
To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Syndrome

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Syndrome is here in full — 34 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.
Line 2
It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.
/ɪt siːmd tuː ɡʊd tuː biː truː bʌt tuː ðə ˈdesprɪt ənd ˈdaɪɪŋ ɪt wɑːz ðə ˈoʊnli tʃæns fɔːr sərˈvaɪvəl/
Line 3
Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.
Line 4
To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .
/tuː stɑːp ðə ˈmædnəs wʌn ˈwʊmən mʌst ˈentər ə ˈʃɑːkɪŋ ˈnaɪt.mɛr wɜːrld wer ˈsaɪəntɪsts kənˈtroʊl jɔːr ˈbɑːdi ənd jɔːr maɪnd ənd ˈlɪvɪŋ meɪks juː beɡ fɔːr deθ/
Line 5

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.

aging noun US /ˈeɪdʒɪŋ/

acquiring desirable qualities by being left undisturbed for some time

From this reading “Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.”

Attribution noun US /ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃən/

assigning some quality or character to a person or thing

From this reading “This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.”

bizarre adjective US /bəˈzɑːr/

conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual

From this reading “Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.”

Creative adjective US /kriˈeɪtɪv/

having the ability or power to create

From this reading “This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.”

licensed adjective US /ˈlaɪsənst/

given official approval to act

From this reading “This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.”

reverses noun US /rɪˈvɜːrsɪz/

plural of “revers” — a lapel on a woman's garment; turned back to show the reverse side

From this reading “Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.”

scientists noun US /ˈsaɪəntɪsts/

plural of “scientist” — a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences

From this reading “To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .”

survival noun US /sərˈvaɪvəl/

a state of surviving; remaining alive

From this reading “It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.”

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.

cure for verb + particle

In this reading “This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.”

too good adverb + adjective

In this reading “It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.”

beg for verb + particle

In this reading “To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

3.0

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

agingnounUS /ˈeɪdʒɪŋ/

acquiring desirable qualities by being left undisturbed for some time

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

AttributionnounUS /ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃən/

assigning some quality or character to a person or thing

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

bizarreadjectiveUS /bəˈzɑːr/

conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

CommonsnounUS /ˈkɑːmənz/

a piece of open land for recreational use in an urban area

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/

power to direct or determine

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

CreativeadjectiveUS /kriˈeɪtɪv/

having the ability or power to create

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

cureverbUS /kjʊr/

provide a cure for, make healthy again

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

deadlyadjectiveUS /ˈdedli/

causing or capable of causing death

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

destroyingverbUS /dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “destroy” — do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

diseasesnounUS /dɪˈziːzəz/

plural of “disease” — an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

experimentnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənt/

the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

LicensenounUS /ˈlaɪsəns/

a legal document giving official permission to do something

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

licensedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪsənst/

given official approval to act

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

madnessnounUS /ˈmædnəs/

obsolete terms for legal insanity

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

miraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/

any amazing or wonderful occurrence

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

reversesnounUS /rɪˈvɜːrsɪz/

plural of “revers” — a lapel on a woman's garment; turned back to show the reverse side

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

scientistsnounUS /ˈsaɪəntɪsts/

plural of “scientist” — a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

shockingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːkɪŋ/

glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

survivalnounUS /sərˈvaɪvəl/

a state of surviving; remaining alive

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

they're

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

From this reading Now they're part of a bizarre secret experiment that reverses the aging process - an experiment gone out of control.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

Unported

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It seemed too good to be true, but to the desperate and dying it was the only chance for survival.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License, They were promised a miracle cure for the deadly diseases destroying their lives.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To stop the madness, one woman must enter a shocking nightmare world, where scientists control your body - and your mind - and living makes you beg for death .

Chapter 1 of Syndrome by Thomas Hoover holds 34 sentences, grouped into 7 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 Syndrome contain?

Chapter 1 holds 34 sentences of Syndrome, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Syndrome by Thomas Hoover exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 34 sentences, grouped into 7 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 Syndrome?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 Syndrome

Common questions about reading Syndrome by Thomas Hoover on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Syndrome?

Yes. All 10186 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34321 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Syndrome is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34321, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Syndrome take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2038 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Syndrome section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of Syndrome 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 Syndrome

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

Licensed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Syndrome; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Under
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Syndrome; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Creative
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Syndrome; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Commons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Syndrome; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.