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The Last Two Alive!
The Last Two Alive!

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Last Two Alive! is here in full — 598 sentences across 120 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Last Two Alive!
Context Illustration Reading 1/119 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LAST TWO ALIVE!
Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!
Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.
The Supreme Council itself would demand it.
He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.
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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 Two Alive!

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Last Two Alive! is here in full — 598 sentences across 120 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/119 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LAST TWO ALIVE!
/ðə læst tuː əˈlaɪv/
Line 2
Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!
Line 3
Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.
Line 4
The Supreme Council itself would demand it.
/ðə səˈpriːm ˈkaʊnsəl ˌɪtˈself wʊd dɪˈmænd ɪt/
Line 5
He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

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.

Armageddon noun US /ˌɑːrməˈɡedən/

(New Testament) the scene of the final battle between the kings of the Earth at the end of the world

From this reading “Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!”

cosmic adjective US /ˈkɑːzmɪk/

of or from or pertaining to or characteristic of the cosmos or universe

From this reading “Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!”

Galactic adjective US /ɡəˈlæktɪk/

of or relating to a galaxy (especially our galaxy the Milky Way)

From this reading “Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!”

rebelled verb US /rɪˈbeld/

inflected form of “rebel” — take part in a rebellion; renounce a former allegiance

From this reading “He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.”

reckoning noun US /ˈrekənɪŋ/

problem solving that involves numbers or quantities

From this reading “He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.”

smash verb US /smæʃ/

hit hard

From this reading “Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!”

Suns noun US /sʌnz/

plural of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading “Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!”

Void adjective US /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading “Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!”

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.

LAST TWO adjective + noun

In this reading “THE LAST TWO ALIVE!”

without hope preposition + noun

In this reading “He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

ALIVEadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading THE LAST TWO ALIVE!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

Aramnoun

the biblical name for ancient Syria

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

ArmageddonnounUS /ˌɑːrməˈɡedən/

(New Testament) the scene of the final battle between the kings of the Earth at the end of the world

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

bearingnounUS /ˈberɪŋ/

relevant relation or interconnection

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

beast-rockets

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

CivilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/

a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

commandedverbUS /kəˈmændɪd/

past form of “command” — be in command of

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

cosmicadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːzmɪk/

of or from or pertaining to or characteristic of the cosmos or universe

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

CouncilnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading The Supreme Council itself would demand it.

crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/

of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

demandnounUS /dɪˈmænd/

an urgent or peremptory request

From this reading The Supreme Council itself would demand it.

desperatelyadverbUS /ˈdespərətli/

with great urgency

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

GalacticadjectiveUS /ɡəˈlæktɪk/

of or relating to a galaxy (especially our galaxy the Milky Way)

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

helplesslyadverbUS /ˈhelpləsli/

in a helpless manner

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The Supreme Council itself would demand it.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The Supreme Council itself would demand it.

Jerrold

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

LASTadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading THE LAST TWO ALIVE!

madnessnounUS /ˈmædnəs/

obsolete terms for legal insanity

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

rebelledverbUS /rɪˈbeld/

inflected form of “rebel” — take part in a rebellion; renounce a former allegiance

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

reckoningnounUS /ˈrekənɪŋ/

problem solving that involves numbers or quantities

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/

plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

Santane's

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

screamedverbUS /skriːmd/

past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

senselesslyadverb

in a meaningless and purposeless manner

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

smashverbUS /smæʃ/

hit hard

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

Space-war

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

SunsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

SupremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading The Supreme Council itself would demand it.

Tetrarchy

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

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LAST TWO ALIVE!

ThirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

torturedadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrtʃərd/

experiencing intense pain especially mental pain

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

TWOnounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE LAST TWO ALIVE!

utterlyadverbUS /ˈʌtərli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

verdictnounUS /ˈvɜːrdɪkt/

(law) the findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

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

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

VoidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

wearilyadverbUS /ˈwerəli/

in a weary manner

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading He had rebelled against the Tetrarchy--rebelled senselessly, desperately, without hope of success or escape--and the reckoning had come.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Aram Jerrold watched helplessly as Santane's beast-rockets screamed into the Void bearing madness to the Thirty Suns, and knew that this was cosmic Armageddon ... the crimson horror of Space-war would smash Galactic Civilization utterly and forever!

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Yet in his tortured mind a voice from the past commanded: "_You must save something from the ruins!_" The verdict, thought Aram Jerrold wearily, would be death.

Chapter 1 of The Last Two Alive! by Alfred Coppel holds 598 sentences, grouped into 120 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 Two Alive! contain?

Chapter 1 holds 598 sentences of The Last Two Alive!, unabridged, divided into 120 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Last Two Alive! by Alfred Coppel exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 598 sentences, grouped into 120 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 Two Alive!?

Work through the 120 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 120 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 Two Alive!

Common questions about reading The Last Two Alive! by Alfred Coppel on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Last Two Alive!?

Yes. All 1178 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64759 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Last Two Alive! is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #64759, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Last Two Alive! take to read?

About 98 minutes of reading across 236 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Last Two Alive! section by section

How to work through The Last Two Alive! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Last Two Alive! 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 Two Alive!

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Last Two Alive!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Alive
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Two Alive!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jerrold
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Two Alive!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Watched
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Two Alive!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Helplessly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Two Alive!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.