Chapter 2 of The Machine That Floats is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Machine That Floats is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Morrow's eyes narrowed. "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!" "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way! Sooner or later, something will happen to change it. Something's bound to change it!
Chapter 2 of The Machine That Floats is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
of or relating to or comprising atoms
From this reading “"Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"”
confined by bonds
From this reading “Something's bound to change it!”
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading “"Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"”
come to pass
From this reading “Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.”
reduced in size as by squeezing together
From this reading “Morrow's eyes narrowed.”
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading “"Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"”
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading “Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.”
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading “"Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"”
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.
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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
of or relating to or comprising atoms
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
for the reason that
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
confined by bonds
From this reading Something's bound to change it!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Morrow's eyes narrowed.
the act of departing
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
come to pass
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Morrow's eyes narrowed.
reduced in size as by squeezing together
From this reading Morrow's eyes narrowed.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
and nothing more
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something's bound to change it!
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "--But the world situation isn't always going to be this way!
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Sooner or later, something will happen to change it.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Smitty, the only reason this would cause an atomic war now is because the world situation is so tense--" "True!"
Chapter 2 of The Machine That Floats by Joe Gibson holds 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 2 holds 450 sentences of The Machine That Floats, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Machine That Floats by Joe Gibson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 2 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 Machine That Floats by Joe Gibson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2256 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49693 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49693, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 188 minutes of reading across 452 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Machine That Floats section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Machine That Floats 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 Machine That Floats, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
