Chapter 3 of The second shell is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The second shell is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us. In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!" Dr. Vernon and I hurried out of the room. He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall. We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
Chapter 3 of The second shell is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
light automatic rifle
From this reading “We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.”
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading “In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"”
a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
From this reading “Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.”
decree or designate beforehand
From this reading “Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.”
increase twofold
From this reading “He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.”
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading “Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.”
fasten with a lock
From this reading “He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.”
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading “Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.”
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.
exterior door (at the entrance) at the front of a building
In this reading “We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.”
In this reading “He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
In this reading “He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.”
utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
In this reading “In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"”
In this reading “Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.”
In this reading “We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.”
In this reading “In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Dr. Vernon and I hurried out of the room.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
the two together, not just one
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
light automatic rifle
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
decree or designate beforehand
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
increase twofold
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Vernon and I hurried out of the room.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
set up or found
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
the act of retaining something
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading Dr. Vernon and I hurried out of the room.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
fasten with a lock
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
a particular point in time
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In a moment I heard Bill call out, "Hey, Doc, comp'ny's come!"
above and across; more than
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Dr. Vernon and I hurried out of the room.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Clouds of Doom Suddenly a red shape flashed over the great glass dome above us.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Vernon and I hurried out of the room.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading We found Bill and Ellen both waiting at the front door, each holding a 30-30 carbine.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He paused to double lock the door behind him, and we went down to the hall.
Chapter 3 of The second shell by Jack Williamson holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 3 holds 216 sentences of The second shell, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The second shell by Jack Williamson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 3 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 second shell by Jack Williamson 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 second shell section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The second shell 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 second shell, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
