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The Syndic
The Syndic

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Syndic is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Syndic
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.
They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.
Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.
"It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.
The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.
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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 Syndic

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Syndic is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.
/ðer hæv bɪn ə ˈθaʊzənd teɪlz ʌv ˈfjuːtʃər juːˈtoʊpiəz ənd ˈpɑːsəbəl ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃənz/
Line 2
They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.
/ðeɪ hæv bɪn ruːld baɪ bəˈnevələnt dɪkˈteɪtərʃɪps ənd pjʊr dɪˈmɑːkrəsiz ˈevəri fɔːrm ʌv ˈɡʌvərmənt frʌm ekˈstriːm raɪt tuː ˈæbsəluːt left/
Line 3
Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.
Line 4
"It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.
Line 5
The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

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.

aerial noun US /ˈeriəl/

a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer

From this reading “The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.”

Armored adjective US /ˈɑːrmərd/

protected by armor (used of persons or things military)

From this reading “The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.”

bombardment noun US /bɑːmˈbɑːrdmənt/

the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)

From this reading “The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.”

civilizations noun US /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃənz/

plural of “civilization” — a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)

From this reading “There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.”

democracies noun US /dɪˈmɑːkrəsiz/

plural of “democracy” — the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives

From this reading “They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.”

dictatorships noun US /dɪkˈteɪtərʃɪps/

plural of “dictatorship” — a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

From this reading “They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.”

precipitating adjective US /prɪˈsɪpəteɪtɪŋ/

bringing on suddenly or abruptly

From this reading “The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.”

Utopias noun US /juːˈtoʊpiəz/

plural of “utopia” — a book written by Sir Thomas More (1516) describing the perfect society on an imaginary island

From this reading “There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

14th

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

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

27th

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

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

aerialnounUS /ˈeriəl/

a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

ArmoredadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrmərd/

protected by armor (used of persons or things military)

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

BnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

benevolentadjectiveUS /bəˈnevələnt/

intending or showing kindness

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

bombardmentnounUS /bɑːmˈbɑːrdmənt/

the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

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

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

civilizationsnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃənz/

plural of “civilization” — a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

democraciesnounUS /dɪˈmɑːkrəsiz/

plural of “democracy” — the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

destructionnounUS /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/

the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

dictatorshipsnounUS /dɪkˈteɪtərʃɪps/

plural of “dictatorship” — a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

easy-going

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

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

emergencynounUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/

a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

extremeadjectiveUS /ekˈstriːm/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

FortnounUS /fɔːrt/

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

governmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

HillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

incidentnounUS /ˈɪnsədənt/

a single distinct event

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

precipitatingadjectiveUS /prɪˈsɪpəteɪtɪŋ/

bringing on suddenly or abruptly

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

RegimentverbUS /ˈredʒəmənt/

subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

ruledadjectiveUS /ruːld/

subject to a ruling authority

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

semi-anarchistic

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

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

SYNDICnoun

one appointed to represent a city or university or corporation in business transactions

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

talesnounUS /teɪlz/

plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left.

UniqueadjectiveUS /juːˈniːk/

radically distinctive and without equal

From this reading Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC.

unlimitedadjectiveUS /ənˈlɪmətɪd/

having no limits in range or scope

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

UtopiasnounUS /juːˈtoʊpiəz/

plural of “utopia” — a book written by Sir Thomas More (1516) describing the perfect society on an imaginary island

From this reading There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "It was not until February 14th that the Government declared a state of unlimited emergency.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading The precipitating incident was the aerial bombardment and destruction of B Company, 27th Armored Regiment, on Fort George Hill in New York City.

Chapter 1 of The Syndic by C. M. (Cyril M.) Kornbluth holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Syndic contain?

Chapter 1 holds 414 sentences of The Syndic, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Syndic by C. M. (Cyril M.) Kornbluth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Syndic?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Syndic

Common questions about reading The Syndic by C. M. (Cyril M.) Kornbluth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Syndic?

Yes. All 4203 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41714 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Syndic is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41714, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Syndic take to read?

About 350 minutes of reading across 841 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Syndic section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Syndic 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 Syndic

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

Thousand
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Syndic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Syndic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Future
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Syndic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Utopias
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Syndic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.