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The deadly thinkers
The deadly thinkers

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The deadly thinkers is here in full — 763 sentences across 153 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The deadly thinkers
Context Illustration Reading 64/152 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?
Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.
But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.
It is not so?"
Benton grunted.
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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.

The deadly thinkers

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The deadly thinkers is here in full — 763 sentences across 153 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 64/152 · 5 reading units · Lines 316–320

Line 1
"I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?
Line 2
Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.
Line 3
But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.
/bʌt ə sens ʌv ˈhjuːmər ɪz ˈæktʃuːəli æn ˌɪntəˈlektʃuːəl ˈætrəbjuːt ˈiːvɪn ɪf juː duː ɪkˈspres ɪt ˈfɪzɪkəli/
Line 4
It is not so?"
/ɪt ɪz nɑːt soʊ/
Line 5
Benton grunted.
/ˈbentən ˈɡrʌntɪd/

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.

attribute noun US /ˈætrəbjuːt/

a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

From this reading “But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.”

Benton noun US /ˈbentən/

United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)

From this reading “Benton grunted.”

built-in adjective US /ˈbɪltɪn/

existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

From this reading “"I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?”

diaphragm noun US /ˈdaɪəfræm/

a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens

From this reading “Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.”

grunted verb US /ˈɡrʌntɪd/

past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise

From this reading “Benton grunted.”

intellectual adjective US /ˌɪntəˈlektʃuːəl/

of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind

From this reading “But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.”

manufactured adjective US /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərd/

produced in a large-scale industrial operation

From this reading “Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.”

physically adverb US /ˈfɪzɪkəli/

in accord with physical laws

From this reading “But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.”

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.

per se preposition + noun

with respect to its inherent nature

In this reading “Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.”

Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.”

All words in this reading · 40

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 "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

actuallyadverbUS /ˈæktʃuːəli/

in actual fact

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

attributenounUS /ˈætrəbjuːt/

a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

BentonnounUS /ˈbentən/

United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)

From this reading Benton grunted.

built-inadjectiveUS /ˈbɪltɪn/

existing as an essential constituent or characteristic

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

diaphragmnounUS /ˈdaɪəfræm/

a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

don't

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

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

gruntedverbUS /ˈɡrʌntɪd/

past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise

From this reading Benton grunted.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

humornounUS /ˈhjuːmər/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

inasmuch

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

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

intellectualadjectiveUS /ˌɪntəˈlektʃuːəl/

of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

manufacturedadjectiveUS /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərd/

produced in a large-scale industrial operation

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is not so?"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

perprepositionUS /pɜːr/

for each

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

physicallyadverbUS /ˈfɪzɪkəli/

in accord with physical laws

From this reading But a sense of humor is actually an intellectual attribute, even if you do express it physically.

senounUS /seɪ/

a toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It is not so?"

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Of course that laugh was manufactured, inasmuch as I have no diaphragm, per se.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I don't suppose you knew I had a built-in sense of humor, did you?

Chapter 1 of The deadly thinkers by William Gray Beyer holds 763 sentences, grouped into 153 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 The deadly thinkers contain?

Chapter 1 holds 763 sentences of The deadly thinkers, unabridged, divided into 153 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The deadly thinkers by William Gray Beyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 763 sentences, grouped into 153 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 The deadly thinkers?

Work through the 153 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 153 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.

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Is this the complete text of The deadly thinkers?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The deadly thinkers is used?

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The deadly thinkers

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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