Chapter 1 of The Stoker and the Stars is here in full — 353 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Stoker and the Stars is here in full — 353 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him? Yes, I know him--_knew_ him. That was twenty years ago. Everybody knows him now. Everybody who passed him on the street knows him.
Chapter 1 of The Stoker and the Stars is here in full — 353 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/70 · 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.
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
an opposing military force
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
every person
From this reading “Everybody knows him now.”
to certain extent or degree
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
inflected form of “whip” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading “_When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?”
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 _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
in the past
From this reading That was twenty years ago.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
an opposing military force
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
every person
From this reading Everybody knows him now.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Yes, I know him--_knew_ him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Yes, I know him--_knew_ him.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading Everybody knows him now.
not any; not one
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Everybody knows him now.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Everybody who passed him on the street knows him.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Everybody who passed him on the street knows him.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
To recall to mind.
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Everybody who passed him on the street knows him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Everybody who passed him on the street knows him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading That was twenty years ago.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was twenty years ago.
at the time that
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
inflected form of “whip” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
which person or people
From this reading Everybody who passed him on the street knows him.
a late time of life
From this reading That was twenty years ago.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, I know him--_knew_ him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy._ Know him?
Chapter 1 of The Stoker and the Stars by Algis Budrys holds 353 sentences, grouped into 71 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 353 sentences of The Stoker and the Stars, unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Stoker and the Stars by Algis Budrys exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 353 sentences, grouped into 71 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 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 71 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 Stoker and the Stars by Algis Budrys on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 353 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22967 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22967, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 29 minutes of reading across 71 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Stoker and the Stars section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Stoker and the Stars 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 Stoker and the Stars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
