Chapter 5 of The Impossibles is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Impossibles is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Malone's voice was very gentle. "Why did they arrest him?" he said. The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture. "You ask me this?" she said. "I'm not a cop," Malone said.
Chapter 5 of The Impossibles is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
take into custody
From this reading “"Why did they arrest him?" he said.”
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading “"I'm not a cop," Malone said.”
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “Malone's voice was very gentle.”
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading “The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.”
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “Malone's voice was very gentle.”
possessive form of “malone” — English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “Malone's voice was very gentle.”
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading “The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.”
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading “The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.”
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 The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
take into custody
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "You ask me this?" she said.
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading "I'm not a cop," Malone said.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading Malone's voice was very gentle.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm not a cop," Malone said.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading "I'm not a cop," Malone said.
possessive form of “malone” — English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading Malone's voice was very gentle.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You ask me this?" she said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I'm not a cop," Malone said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You ask me this?" she said.
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "You ask me this?" she said.
precisely as stated
From this reading Malone's voice was very gentle.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Malone's voice was very gentle.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Malone's voice was very gentle.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why did they arrest him?" he said.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The woman shrugged, a single sharp gesture.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You ask me this?" she said.
Chapter 5 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 holds 411 sentences of The Impossibles, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 5 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 Impossibles by Randall Garrett 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 Impossibles section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Impossibles 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 Impossibles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
