Chapter 1 of The Invaders is here in full — 640 sentences across 128 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Invaders is here in full — 640 sentences across 128 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Big Joe Merklos was the first of them. He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand. The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations. But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far. Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
Chapter 1 of The Invaders is here in full — 640 sentences across 128 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/128 · 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 classification of someone or something with respect to its worth
From this reading “But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.”
possessive form of “bank” — sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading “But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.”
form a curve
From this reading “He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.”
a person who buys
From this reading “Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?”
money in the form of bills or coins
From this reading “He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.”
a short vivid experience
From this reading “The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.”
intended or having the power to induce action or belief
From this reading “The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.”
plural of “recommendation” — something (as a course of action) that is recommended as advisable
From this reading “The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.”
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.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
possessive form of “bank” — sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
form a curve
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
a person who buys
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
money in the form of bills or coins
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
a short vivid experience
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
intended or having the power to induce action or belief
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
plural of “recommendation” — something (as a course of action) that is recommended as advisable
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
only a very short time before
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Big Joe Merklos was the first of them.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand.
a late time of life
From this reading Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
Chapter 1 of The Invaders by Benjamin Ferris holds 640 sentences, grouped into 128 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 640 sentences of The Invaders, unabridged, divided into 128 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Invaders by Benjamin Ferris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 640 sentences, grouped into 128 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 128 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 128 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.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The Invaders, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
