Chapter 1 of Task of Tau is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Task of Tau is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Tau was metal. Tau was chemical. Tau was electrical. Yet Tau could face death like a man. A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
Chapter 1 of Task of Tau is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
a system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation
From this reading “A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.”
relating to or used in chemistry
From this reading “Tau was chemical.”
relating to or concerned with electricity
From this reading “Tau was electrical.”
coming next after the thirteenth in position
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading “A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.”
slightly wet
From this reading “A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.”
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading “A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.”
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.
the sky as viewed during daylight
In this reading “A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.”
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 Yet Tau could face death like a man.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
a system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
relating to or used in chemistry
From this reading Tau was chemical.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Yet Tau could face death like a man.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Yet Tau could face death like a man.
relating to or concerned with electricity
From this reading Tau was electrical.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Yet Tau could face death like a man.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
coming next after the thirteenth in position
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Yet Tau could face death like a man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Yet Tau could face death like a man.
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 Tau was metal.
slightly wet
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet
From this reading Tau was metal.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading A gleaming binary swung in the blue sky, sending a moist warmth across the swaying fern-growths of the _Fourteenth Planet_.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Tau was metal.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet Tau could face death like a man.
Chapter 1 of Task of Tau by J. Harvey (John Harvey) Haggard holds 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 1 holds 90 sentences of Task of Tau, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Task of Tau by J. Harvey (John Harvey) Haggard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 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.
Common questions about reading Task of Tau by J. Harvey (John Harvey) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Task of Tau section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Task of Tau 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 Task of Tau, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
