Chapter 2 of The Aliens is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Aliens is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated. "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!" There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now. Taine fairly howled an order. There were yells of defiance and excitement.
Chapter 2 of The Aliens is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude
From this reading “There were yells of defiance and excitement.”
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading “There were yells of defiance and excitement.”
to certain extent or degree
From this reading “Taine fairly howled an order.”
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading “Taine fairly howled an order.”
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading “There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.”
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.”
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading “"They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.”
plural of “yell” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading “There were yells of defiance and excitement.”
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.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Taine fairly howled an order.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were yells of defiance and excitement.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude
From this reading There were yells of defiance and excitement.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading There were yells of defiance and excitement.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Taine fairly howled an order.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading Taine fairly howled an order.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were yells of defiance and excitement.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Taine fairly howled an order.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taine fairly howled an order.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading "They see the trick," said Diane, dry-throated.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "If they can get in close enough, they can turn it against us!"
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were noises inside the _Niccola_, now.
plural of “yell” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading There were yells of defiance and excitement.
Chapter 2 of The Aliens by Murray Leinster holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 2 holds 406 sentences of The Aliens, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Aliens by Murray Leinster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 2 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 The Aliens by Murray Leinster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1214 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24104 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24104, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 101 minutes of reading across 243 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Aliens section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Aliens 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 The Aliens, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
