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The Impossibles
The Impossibles

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Impossibles is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Impossibles
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI
In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."
"Mistake?"
Lynch said.
Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Impossibles

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Impossibles is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI
Line 2
In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."
Line 3
"Mistake?"
/mɪˈsteɪk/
Line 4
Lynch said.
/lɪntʃ sed/
Line 5
Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.
/məˈloʊn flɪpt ðə ˈwɔːlət ˈoʊ.pən tuː hɪz ˈefˈbiːˈaɪ ʃiːld/

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.

fbi noun US /ˈefˈbiːˈaɪ/

a federal law enforcement agency that is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Justice

From this reading “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI”

flipped verb US /flɪpt/

inflected form of “flip” — lightly throw to see which side comes up

From this reading “Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.”

formally adverb US /ˈfɔːrməli/

with official authorization

From this reading “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI”

hereby adverb US /hɪrˈbaɪ/

(formal) by means of this

From this reading “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI”

installed verb US /ˌɪnˈstɔːld/

inflected form of “instal” — set up for use

From this reading “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI”

Lynch verb US /lɪntʃ/

kill without legal sanction

From this reading “Lynch said.”

Malone noun US /məˈloʊn/

English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)

From this reading “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI”

wallet noun US /ˈwɔːlət/

a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money

From this reading “Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

ALLadjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

BATHnounUS /bæθ/

a vessel containing liquid in which something is immersed (as to process it or to maintain it at a constant temperature or to lubricate it)

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

cardnounUS /kɑːrd/

one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

FBInounUS /ˈefˈbiːˈaɪ/

a federal law enforcement agency that is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Justice

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

flippedverbUS /flɪpt/

inflected form of “flip” — lightly throw to see which side comes up

From this reading Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.

formallyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrməli/

with official authorization

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

herebyadverbUS /hɪrˈbaɪ/

(formal) by means of this

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

installedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɔːld/

inflected form of “instal” — set up for use

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

Kenneth

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

KnightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

KNOWverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

LynchverbUS /lɪntʃ/

kill without legal sanction

From this reading Lynch said.

MalonenounUS /məˈloʊn/

English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

MENnounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

mistakenounUS /mɪˈsteɪk/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.

OWNverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

PRESENTSnounUS /ˈprezənts/

plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

QUEEN'SnounUS /kwiːnz/

possessive form of “queen” — the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

respectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈspektɪd/

receiving deferential regard

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

shieldnounUS /ʃiːld/

a protective covering or structure

From this reading Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.

signifyverbUS /ˈsɪɡnəfaɪ/

denote or connote

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

There's

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

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

THESEdeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading In a very small voice, Malone said, "There's been a terrible mistake."

walletnounUS /ˈwɔːlət/

a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money

From this reading Malone flipped the wallet open to his FBI shield.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT Sir Kenneth Malone, Knight, is hereby formally installed with the title of KNIGHT OF THE BATH and this card shall signify his right to that title and his high and respected position as officer in and of THE QUEEN'S OWN FBI

Chapter 4 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 of The Impossibles contain?

Chapter 4 holds 424 sentences of The Impossibles, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 of The Impossibles?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in The Impossibles

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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