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The World Beyond
The World Beyond

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The World Beyond is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The World Beyond
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.
You are hungry.
You will let us bring you food."
It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.
Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.
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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 World Beyond

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The World Beyond is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.
/relm ʌv ˈmɪstəri wiː wɪʃ ˈnʌθɪŋ ʌv juː ðə mæn sed seɪv ðæt juː ækˈsept frʌm ʌs wʌt wiː hæv tuː ˈɔːfər/
Line 2
You are hungry.
/juː ɑːr ˈhʌŋɡri/
Line 3
You will let us bring you food."
/juː wɪl let ʌs brɪŋ juː fuːd/
Line 4
It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.
Line 5
Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

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.

Crude adjective US /kruːd/

not carefully or expertly made

From this reading “Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.”

furnishings noun US /ˈfɜːrnɪʃɪŋz/

plural of “furnishing” — (usually plural) accessory wearing apparel

From this reading “Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.”

mats noun US /mæts/

plural of “mat” — a thick flat pad used as a floor covering

From this reading “Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.”

padded adjective US /ˈpædɪd/

softened by the addition of cushions or padding

From this reading “Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.”

plaited verb US /ˈpleɪtɪd/

past form of “plait” — make by braiding or interlacing

From this reading “It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.”

Realm noun US /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

rustic adjective US /ˈrʌstɪk/

characteristic of rural life

From this reading “It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.”

stuffed adjective US /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading “Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

acceptverbUS /ækˈsept/

consider or hold as true

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading You are hungry.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading You will let us bring you food."

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

chairsnounUS /tʃerz/

plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

CrudeadjectiveUS /kruːd/

not carefully or expertly made

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

foodnounUS /fuːd/

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading You will let us bring you food."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

furnishingsnounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃɪŋz/

plural of “furnishing” — (usually plural) accessory wearing apparel

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

hungryadjectiveUS /ˈhʌŋɡri/

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading You are hungry.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading You will let us bring you food."

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

matsnounUS /mæts/

plural of “mat” — a thick flat pad used as a floor covering

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

MysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

offerverbUS /ˈɔːfər/

make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

paddedadjectiveUS /ˈpædɪd/

softened by the addition of cushions or padding

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

plaitedverbUS /ˈpleɪtɪd/

past form of “plait” — make by braiding or interlacing

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

RealmnounUS /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

rusticadjectiveUS /ˈrʌstɪk/

characteristic of rural life

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/

from appearances alone

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

strawnounUS /strɔː/

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

stuffedadjectiveUS /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It was a simple rustic room to which they had been brought--a room in a house seemingly of plaited straw.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading You will let us bring you food."

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Crude furnishings were here--table and chairs of Earth fashion, padded with stuffed mats.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _Realm of Mystery_ "We wish nothing of you," the man said, "save that you accept from us what we have to offer.

Chapter 3 of The World Beyond by Ray Cummings holds 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 3 of The World Beyond contain?

Chapter 3 holds 258 sentences of The World Beyond, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The World Beyond by Ray Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 3 of The World Beyond?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 World Beyond

Common questions about reading The World Beyond by Ray Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The World Beyond?

Yes. All 1129 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29059 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The World Beyond is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29059, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The World Beyond take to read?

About 94 minutes of reading across 226 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The World Beyond section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of The World Beyond 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 World Beyond

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

Etext
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World Beyond; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Produced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World Beyond; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Amazing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World Beyond; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World Beyond; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.