Chapter 1 of The Impossible Pirate is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Impossible Pirate is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior. "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly. "For which thanks. But what happens if I don't produce?" His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
Chapter 1 of The Impossible Pirate is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
From this reading “"I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.”
past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes
From this reading “Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.”
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading “"I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.”
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading “"I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.”
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading “His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.”
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “But what happens if I don't produce?"”
relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun
From this reading “His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.”
in a vague way
From this reading “His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.”
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.
In this reading “Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.”
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.
recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.
past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes
From this reading Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what happens if I don't produce?"
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But what happens if I don't produce?"
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For which thanks.
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading But what happens if I don't produce?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But what happens if I don't produce?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.
a commissioned military officer
From this reading Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
bring forth or yield
From this reading But what happens if I don't produce?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
relating to or derived from the sun or utilizing the energies of the sun
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
of high or superior quality or performance
From this reading Lieutenant Jeffries blinked at his superior.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading "For which thanks.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I appreciate the compliment," he said dryly.
in a vague way
From this reading His superior, Captain Edwards of the Solar Police, smiled vaguely.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what happens if I don't produce?"
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "For which thanks.
Chapter 1 of The Impossible Pirate by George O. (George Oliver) Smith holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 417 sentences of The Impossible Pirate, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Impossible Pirate by George O. (George Oliver) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Impossible Pirate by George O. (George Oliver) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Impossible Pirate section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Impossible Pirate 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 Impossible Pirate, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
