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The Door Through Space
The Door Through Space

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Door Through Space is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Door Through Space
Context Illustration Reading 1/91 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.
10036 ...
_across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.
It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.
Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.
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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 Door Through Space

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Door Through Space is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.
Line 2
10036 ...
Line 3
_across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.
Line 4
It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.
/ɪt ɪz ə ˈpiːsfəl reɪn held baɪ ˈkɑːmpækt ənd nɑːt baɪ ˈkɑːŋkwest/
Line 5
Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

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.

ace noun US /eɪs/

the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading “ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.”

Americas noun US /əˈmerəkəz/

plural of “america” — North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading “ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.”

dedication noun US /ˌdedəˈkeɪʃən/

complete and wholehearted fidelity

From this reading “Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.”

Galaxy noun US /ˈɡæləksi/

a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)

From this reading “_across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.”

Inc noun US /ɪŋk/

a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to Saddam Hussein's government of Iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds who hope to build a new government

From this reading “ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.”

maintains verb US /meɪnˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “maintain” — cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading “_across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.”

sided verb US /ˈsaɪdɪd/

past form of “side” — take sides for or against

From this reading “Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.”

sovereignty noun US /ˈsɑːvrənti/

government free from external control

From this reading “_across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

10036

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

From this reading 10036 ...

1120

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

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

ACEnounUS /eɪs/

the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

AmericasnounUS /əˈmerəkəz/

plural of “america” — North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

AvenuenounUS /ˈævənuː/

a line of approach

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

BOOKSnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

CharterverbUS /ˈtʃɑːrtər/

hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

CommunicationsnounUS /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃənz/

the discipline that studies the principles of transmiting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc.)

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

conquestnounUS /ˈkɑːŋkwest/

the act of conquering

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

consentnounUS /kənˈsent/

permission to do something

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

dedicationnounUS /ˌdedəˈkeɪʃən/

complete and wholehearted fidelity

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

DivisionnounUS /dɪˈvɪʒən/

an army unit large enough to sustain combat

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

EmpirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/

the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

GalaxynounUS /ˈɡæləksi/

a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

governednounUS /ˈɡʌvərnd/

the body of people who are citizens of a particular government

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

IncnounUS /ɪŋk/

a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to Saddam Hussein's government of Iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds who hope to build a new government

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

maintainsverbUS /meɪnˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “maintain” — cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

nativesnounUS /ˈneɪtɪvz/

plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

PeacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

rebellionnounUS /rɪˈbeljən/

refusal to accept some authority or code or convention

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

rebelliousadjectiveUS /rɪˈbeljəs/

resisting control or authority

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

reignverbUS /reɪn/

have sovereign power

From this reading It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

sidedverbUS /ˈsaɪdɪd/

past form of “side” — take sides for or against

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

sovereigntynounUS /ˈsɑːvrənti/

government free from external control

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

Terra

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

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

Terran

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

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

threatensverbUS /ˈθretənz/

third-person singular of “threaten” — pose a threat to; present a danger to

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication._ _There has never been open war.

YnounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading ACE BOOKS A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y.

Chapter 1 of The Door Through Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley holds 456 sentences, grouped into 92 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 Door Through Space contain?

Chapter 1 holds 456 sentences of The Door Through Space, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Door Through Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 456 sentences, grouped into 92 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 Door Through Space?

Work through the 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 92 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 The Door Through Space

Common questions about reading The Door Through Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Door Through Space?

Yes. All 3164 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19726 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Door Through Space is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #19726, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Door Through Space take to read?

About 263 minutes of reading across 633 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Door Through Space section by section

How to work through The Door Through Space section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Door Through Space 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 Door Through Space

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Door Through Space, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Books
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door Through Space; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Division
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door Through Space; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door Through Space; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Communications
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door Through Space; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.