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The Last Days of L.A.
The Last Days of L.A.

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Last Days of L.A. is here in full — 551 sentences across 111 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/110 · 5 lines
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The Last Days of L.A.
_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.
The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.
You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.
You can't be dreaming.
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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 Last Days of L.A.

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Last Days of L.A. is here in full — 551 sentences across 111 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/110 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Last Days of L.A.
Line 2
_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.
Line 3
The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.
/ðə driːm ʌv ðə ˈsʌdən flæʃ ɪn ðə naɪt ðə ˈraɪzɪŋ ˈmʌʃruːm klaʊd ənd ðen əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃən/
Line 4
You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.
Line 5
You can't be dreaming.

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.

annihilation noun US /əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃən/

destruction by annihilating something

From this reading “The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.”

exhilarating adjective US /ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪŋ/

making lively and cheerful

From this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

haunted adjective US /ˈhɔːntɪd/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

illegal adjective US /ˌɪˈliːɡəl/

prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules

From this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

mushroom noun US /ˈmʌʃruːm/

common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)

From this reading “The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.”

nightmare noun US /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading “You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.”

recurring adjective US /rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ/

coming back

From this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

scale noun US /skeɪl/

an ordered reference standard

From this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

small scale adjective + noun

In this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

whole world adjective + noun

In this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “_Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.”

Last Days adjective + noun

In this reading “The Last Days of L.A.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

1945

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

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The Last Days of L.A.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

annihilationnounUS /əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃən/

destruction by annihilating something

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

can't

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

From this reading You can't be dreaming.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

DaysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The Last Days of L.A.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading You can't be dreaming.

exhilaratingadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪŋ/

making lively and cheerful

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

flashverbUS /flæʃ/

gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

hauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

illegaladjectiveUS /ˌɪˈliːɡəl/

prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

it's

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

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading The Last Days of L.A.

LastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading The Last Days of L.A.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

MurderverbUS /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

mushroomnounUS /ˈmʌʃruːm/

common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Last Days of L.A.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

recurringadjectiveUS /rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ/

coming back

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

scalenounUS /skeɪl/

an ordered reference standard

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Last Days of L.A.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The dream of the sudden flash in the night, the rising mushroom cloud and then annihilation.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading You are living the nightmare again but this time it's true, you know it's true.

unpleasantadjectiveUS /ənˈplezənt/

offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _Murder on a small scale may be illegal and unpleasant, but mass murder can be the most exhilarating thing in the world!_ You are having the same recurring dream, the dream that has haunted the whole world since that day in 1945.

Chapter 1 of The Last Days of L.A. by George H. (George Henry) Smith holds 551 sentences, grouped into 111 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 1 of The Last Days of L.A. contain?

Chapter 1 holds 551 sentences of The Last Days of L.A., unabridged, divided into 111 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Last Days of L.A. by George H. (George Henry) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 551 sentences, grouped into 111 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 1 of The Last Days of L.A.?

Work through the 111 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 111 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Last Days of L.A.

Common questions about reading The Last Days of L.A. by George H. (George Henry) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Last Days of L.A.?

Yes. All 551 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60671 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Last Days of L.A. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #60671, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Last Days of L.A. take to read?

About 45 minutes of reading across 111 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Last Days of L.A. section by section

How to work through The Last Days of L.A. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Last Days of L.A. to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Last Days of L.A.

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Last Days of L.A., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Murder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Days of L.A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Small
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Days of L.A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scale
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Days of L.A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illegal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Days of L.A.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.