Chapter 14 of The Secret of the Ninth Planet is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of The Secret of the Ninth Planet is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Burl surveyed his position. Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity. The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship. It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell. There was no time to be lost.
Chapter 14 of The Secret of the Ninth Planet is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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 wood cut from a tree burl or outgrowth; often used decoratively in veneer
From this reading “Burl surveyed his position.”
a line made of twisted fibers or threads
From this reading “The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.”
-ing form of “decelerate” — lose velocity; move more slowly
From this reading “Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.”
comparative of “firm” — marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading “It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.”
curved down like an eagle's beak
From this reading “The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.”
the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions
From this reading “Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.”
a thermoplastic polyamide; a family of strong resilient synthetic fibers
From this reading “The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.”
past form of “survey” — consider in a comprehensive way
From this reading “Burl surveyed his position.”
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.
In this reading “It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.”
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
In this reading “It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
the wood cut from a tree burl or outgrowth; often used decoratively in veneer
From this reading Burl surveyed his position.
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
a line made of twisted fibers or threads
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
-ing form of “decelerate” — lose velocity; move more slowly
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
comparative of “firm” — marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
(physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
the act of grasping
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Burl surveyed his position.
curved down like an eagle's beak
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading There was no time to be lost.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no time to be lost.
a thermoplastic polyamide; a family of strong resilient synthetic fibers
From this reading The nylon cord was hooked into a bolt near the center of the ship.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Burl surveyed his position.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
transport commercially
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
past form of “survey” — consider in a comprehensive way
From this reading Burl surveyed his position.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no time to be lost.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There was no time to be lost.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading Judging from the apparent weight of his body, Boulton was decelerating the ship at a little less than one gravity.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would be possible for Burl to climb up it and reach a firmer grip on the outside shell.
Chapter 14 of The Secret of the Ninth Planet by Donald A. Wollheim holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 14 holds 186 sentences of The Secret of the Ninth Planet, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of The Secret of the Ninth Planet by Donald A. Wollheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 14 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 Secret of the Ninth Planet by Donald A. Wollheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3287 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33644 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33644, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 273 minutes of reading across 658 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Secret of the Ninth Planet section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Secret of the Ninth Planet 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 Secret of the Ninth Planet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
