Chapter 2 of The Universe — or Nothing is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Universe — or Nothing is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A portal came into view up ahead. Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening. The guards did not follow. Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about. The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
Chapter 2 of The Universe — or Nothing is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
growing close together but not in dense mats
From this reading “Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.”
a space into which an area is subdivided
From this reading “The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.”
plural of “escort” — someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
From this reading “Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.”
the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs
From this reading “The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.”
plural of “inmate” — one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
From this reading “Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.”
on the negative side or lower end of a scale
From this reading “Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.”
a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)
From this reading “A portal came into view up ahead.”
plural of “standard” — a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
From this reading “The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.”
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 A portal came into view up ahead.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
at or in the front
From this reading A portal came into view up ahead.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
on or to one side
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A portal came into view up ahead.
growing close together but not in dense mats
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
a space into which an area is subdivided
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The guards did not follow.
an item inserted in a written record
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
plural of “escort” — someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The guards did not follow.
willing to give and share unstintingly
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading The guards did not follow.
the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
plural of “inmate” — one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A portal came into view up ahead.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
on the negative side or lower end of a scale
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
past form of “motion” — show, express or direct through movement
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The guards did not follow.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)
From this reading A portal came into view up ahead.
plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
plural of “standard” — a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Of a sudden minus their escorts, the inmates clustered inside the entry and stared about.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
in the direction of
From this reading Jenkins motioned toward it and stepped aside as the prisoners passed him and on through the opening.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A portal came into view up ahead.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading A portal came into view up ahead.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The compartment was generous by space habitat standards.
Chapter 2 of The Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven holds 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 2 holds 431 sentences of The Universe — or Nothing, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 2 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 Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5871 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18257 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18257, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 489 minutes of reading across 1175 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Universe — or Nothing section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Universe — or Nothing 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 Universe — or Nothing, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
