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The Spy in the Elevator
The Spy in the Elevator

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Spy in the Elevator is here in full — 572 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Spy in the Elevator
Context Illustration Reading 1/114 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He was dangerously insane.
He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!
When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.
A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.
Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.
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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 Spy in the Elevator

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Spy in the Elevator is here in full — 572 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/114 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He was dangerously insane.
/hiː wɑːz ˈdeɪn.dʒər.əs.li ˌɪnˈseɪn/
Line 2
He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!
Line 3
When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.
Line 4
A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.
Line 5
Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

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.

dangerously adverb US /ˈdeɪn.dʒər.əs.li/

In a way that involves danger or risk.

From this reading “He was dangerously insane.”

elevator noun US /ˈeləveɪtər/

lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building

From this reading “When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.”

exhaust verb US /ɪɡˈzɔːst/

wear out completely

From this reading “A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.”

feedback noun US /ˈfiːdbæk/

the process in which part of the output of a system is returned to its input in order to regulate its further output

From this reading “A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.”

Suffice verb US /səˈfaɪs/

be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

From this reading “Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.”

transparency noun US /trænˈsperənsi/

permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation

From this reading “A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.”

yolk noun US /joʊk/

the yellow spherical part of an egg that is surrounded by the albumen

From this reading “A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.”

zipper noun US /ˈzɪpər/

a fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means of a sliding tab

From this reading “A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.”

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.

go through verb + particle

undergo or live through a difficult experience

In this reading “A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

aircon

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

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

dangerouslyadverbUS /ˈdeɪn.dʒər.əs.li/

In a way that involves danger or risk.

From this reading He was dangerously insane.

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

decentadjectiveUS /ˈdiːsənt/

socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

destroyverbUS /dɪˈstrɔɪ/

do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

didn't

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

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

eggnounUS /eɡ/

animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

elevatornounUS /ˈeləveɪtər/

lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

exhaustverbUS /ɪɡˈzɔːst/

wear out completely

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

feedbacknounUS /ˈfiːdbæk/

the process in which part of the output of a system is returned to its input in order to regulate its further output

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was dangerously insane.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

includingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

insaneadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈseɪn/

afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement

From this reading He was dangerously insane.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

listverbUS /lɪst/

give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

stickingadjectiveUS /ˈstɪkɪŋ/

extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

stuckadjectiveUS /stʌk/

caught or fixed

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

SufficeverbUS /səˈfaɪs/

be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Suffice it to say that when the elevator didn't come, that put the roof on the city, as they say.

threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

transparencynounUS /trænˈsperənsi/

permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was dangerously insane.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the elevator didn't come, that just made the day perfect.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He threatened to destroy everything that was noble and decent--including my date with my girl!

won't

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

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

yolknounUS /joʊk/

the yellow spherical part of an egg that is surrounded by the albumen

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

zippernounUS /ˈzɪpər/

a fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means of a sliding tab

From this reading A broken egg yolk, a stuck zipper, a feedback in the aircon exhaust, the window sticking at full transparency--well, I won't go through the whole sorry list.

Chapter 1 of The Spy in the Elevator by Donald E. Westlake holds 572 sentences, grouped into 115 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 Spy in the Elevator contain?

Chapter 1 holds 572 sentences of The Spy in the Elevator, unabridged, divided into 115 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Spy in the Elevator by Donald E. Westlake exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 572 sentences, grouped into 115 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 Spy in the Elevator?

Work through the 115 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 115 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 Spy in the Elevator

Common questions about reading The Spy in the Elevator by Donald E. Westlake on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Spy in the Elevator?

Yes. All 572 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51687 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Spy in the Elevator is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51687, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Spy in the Elevator take to read?

About 47 minutes of reading across 115 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Spy in the Elevator section by section

How to work through The Spy in the Elevator section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Spy in the Elevator 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 Spy in the Elevator

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Spy in the Elevator, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dangerously
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spy in the Elevator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Insane
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spy in the Elevator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Threatened
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spy in the Elevator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Destroy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spy in the Elevator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.