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The Cosmic Computer
The Cosmic Computer

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of The Cosmic Computer is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Cosmic Computer
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.
He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.
It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."
"I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."
"Could be.
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.

The Cosmic Computer

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of The Cosmic Computer is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.
Line 2
He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.
/hiː θɪŋks ðɪs hoʊl θɪŋz ə plɑːt əˈɡenst ðə ˌfedərˈeɪʃən/
Line 3
It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."
Line 4
"I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."
Line 5
"Could be.
/kʊd biː/

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.

believes verb US /bɪˈliːvz/

third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading “"I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.”

combat noun US /ˈkɑːmbæt/

an engagement fought between two military forces

From this reading “It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."”

Federation noun US /ˌfedərˈeɪʃən/

an organization formed by merging several groups or parties

From this reading “He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.”

plot noun US /plɑːt/

a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)

From this reading “He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.”

repainting verb US /riˈpeɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “repaint” — paint again

From this reading “It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."”

stuff noun US /stʌf/

the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading “It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."”

thing's noun US /θɪŋz/

possessive form of “thing” — a special situation

From this reading “He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.”

vehicles noun US /ˈviːhɪkəlz/

plural of “vehicle” — a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading “It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

believesverbUS /bɪˈliːvz/

third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

combatnounUS /ˈkɑːmbæt/

an engagement fought between two military forces

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "Could be.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

didn't

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

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

don't

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

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

FederationnounUS /ˌfedərˈeɪʃən/

an organization formed by merging several groups or parties

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

GuardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

he's

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

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

HomenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

I'd

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

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

It's

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

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

Klem

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

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

Litchfield

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

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

plotnounUS /plɑːt/

a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

repaintingverbUS /riˈpeɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “repaint” — paint again

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

stuffnounUS /stʌf/

the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

thing'snounUS /θɪŋz/

possessive form of “thing” — a special situation

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

thinksnounUS /θɪŋks/

plural of “think” — an instance of deliberate thinking

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

vehiclesnounUS /ˈviːhɪkəlz/

plural of “vehicle” — a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

Vyckhoven

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

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I'd be more likely to think it was Vyckhoven."

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading It's a good thing Klem didn't get around to repainting his combat vehicles black and green, the way he did the Home Guard stuff at Litchfield."

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading He thinks this whole thing's a plot against the Federation.

Zareff's

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

From this reading "I don't know what he believes, but he's getting to be Klem Zareff's opposite number.

Chapter 10 of The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper holds 408 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.

What does chapter 10 of The Cosmic Computer contain?

Chapter 10 holds 408 sentences of The Cosmic Computer, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 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.

How do I study chapter 10 of The Cosmic Computer?

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.

Can chapter 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 The Cosmic Computer

Common questions about reading The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Cosmic Computer?

Yes. All 4811 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20727 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Cosmic Computer is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20727, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Cosmic Computer take to read?

About 400 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Cosmic Computer section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Cosmic Computer 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 The Cosmic Computer

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Cosmic Computer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Incredible
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cosmic Computer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cosmic Computer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Still
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cosmic Computer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Undiscovered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cosmic Computer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.