Chapter 1 of The Sphere of Sleep is here in full — 578 sentences across 116 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Sphere of Sleep is here in full — 578 sentences across 116 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused. Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim. I've just got to kill you! I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...." The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
Chapter 1 of The Sphere of Sleep is here in full — 578 sentences across 116 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/115 · 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.
a defendant in a criminal proceeding
From this reading “[Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.”
a small nail
From this reading “[Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.”
at every point
From this reading “The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.”
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading “Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.”
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
From this reading “[Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.”
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading “Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.”
not known
From this reading “Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.”
with great urgency
From this reading “The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.”
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 “[Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.”
In this reading “Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.”
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 [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
a defendant in a criminal proceeding
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
a small nail
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
at every point
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
and nothing more
From this reading I've just got to kill you!
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
having a supporting base
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
not known
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
with great urgency
From this reading The thought beat urgently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading [Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Tim without any danger of being accused.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknown world.] "I've got to kill you, Big Tim.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I want Laura--and you're standing in my way...."
Chapter 1 of The Sphere of Sleep by Chester S. Geier holds 578 sentences, grouped into 116 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 1 holds 578 sentences of The Sphere of Sleep, unabridged, divided into 116 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Sphere of Sleep by Chester S. Geier exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 578 sentences, grouped into 116 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 116 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 116 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Sphere of Sleep by Chester S. Geier on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 578 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32750 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32750, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 48 minutes of reading across 116 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sphere of Sleep section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Sphere of Sleep 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 Sphere of Sleep, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
