Chapter 1 of The Hour of Battle is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Hour of Battle is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve. Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning? "That hand didn't move, did it?" Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars. "No," Morse said.
Chapter 1 of The Hour of Battle is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading “As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.”
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading “As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.”
a telegraph code in which letters and numbers are represented by strings of dots and dashes (short and long signals)
From this reading “"No," Morse said.”
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.”
shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
From this reading “Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?”
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort
From this reading “As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.”
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading “Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?”
find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
From this reading “As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.”
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 As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "That hand didn't move, did it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That hand didn't move, did it?"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
an opposing military force
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "That hand didn't move, did it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "That hand didn't move, did it?"
and nothing more
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
a telegraph code in which letters and numbers are represented by strings of dots and dashes (short and long signals)
From this reading "No," Morse said.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "That hand didn't move, did it?"
not any; not one
From this reading "No," Morse said.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
above and across; more than
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
any competition
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No," Morse said.
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
having a supporting base
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Edwardson asked, standing at the port, looking at the stars.
carry out
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That hand didn't move, did it?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As one of the Guardian ships protecting Earth, the crew had a problem to solve.
a message informing of danger
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
which person or people
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Just how do you protect a race from an enemy who can take over a man's mind without seeming effort or warning?
Chapter 1 of The Hour of Battle by Robert Sheckley holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 237 sentences of The Hour of Battle, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Hour of Battle by Robert Sheckley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 The Hour of Battle by Robert Sheckley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 237 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29445 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29445, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 19 minutes of reading across 48 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Hour of Battle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Hour of Battle 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 Hour of Battle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
