The Year When Stardust Fell

Chapter XVIII · _Balance of Nature_

Chapter XVIII of The Year When Stardust Fell, “_Balance of Nature_,” is here in full — 289 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Raymond F. Jones • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Year When Stardust Fell

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He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/57

The Year When Stardust Fell

Chapter XVIII · _Balance of Nature_

Chapter XVIII of The Year When Stardust Fell, “_Balance of Nature_,” is here in full — 289 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/57 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

/hiː leɪ bɪˈtwiːn waɪt ʃiːts ənd ðə stentʃ ʌv ˈbɜːrnɪŋ θɪŋz wɑːz ˈevriwer ɪn ðə er ðæt hiː briːðd ɪn ðə kliːn waɪt ˈkʌvərz ðæt wɜːr ˈoʊvər hɪm/

Line 2

His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

/hɪz oʊn fleʃ siːmd tuː smel ʌv ɪt/

Line 3

He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

/hiː wɑːz nɑːt kwaɪt ʃʊr ɪf hiː wɜːr stɪl ɪn ə wɜːrld ʌv driːmz ɔːr ɪf ðɪs wɜːr riːl/

Line 4

It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

Line 5

He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

/hiː rɪˈmembərd ˈsʌmθɪŋ əˈbaʊt sʌtʃ laɪt ðæt wɑːz nɑːt ˈplezənt/

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.

breathed adjective US /briːðd/

uttered without voice

From this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

covers noun US /ˈkʌvərz/

plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something

From this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

everywhere adverb US /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

flesh noun US /fleʃ/

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading “His own flesh seemed to smell of it.”

gilded adjective US /ˈɡɪldɪd/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading “It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.”

sheets noun US /ʃiːts/

plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

smell noun US /smel/

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading “His own flesh seemed to smell of it.”

stench noun US /stentʃ/

a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

From this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

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.

quite sure adverb + adjective

In this reading “He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.”

white sheets noun + noun counted as “white sheet”

In this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

own flesh verb + noun

In this reading “His own flesh seemed to smell of it.”

clean white adjective + noun

In this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

lay between verb + particle

In this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

in a world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.”

in the air preposition + article + noun counted as “in … air”

on everybody's mind

In this reading “He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

breathedadjectiveUS /briːðd/

uttered without voice

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

cleanadjectiveUS /kliːn/

free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

coversnounUS /ˈkʌvərz/

plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

dreamsnounUS /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

fleshnounUS /fleʃ/

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

gildedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪldɪd/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

sheetsnounUS /ʃiːts/

plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

smellnounUS /smel/

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

snow-coveredadjective

covered with snow

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

stenchnounUS /stentʃ/

a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading He remembered something about such light that was not pleasant.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading His own flesh seemed to smell of it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading He lay between white sheets, and the stench of burning things was everywhere, in the air that he breathed, in the clean white covers that were over him.

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 It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading He was not quite sure if he were still in a world of dreams or if this were real.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading It was a golden world; the snow-covered ground beyond the window was gilded with rich, yellow light.

Chapter 18 of The Year When Stardust Fell by Raymond F. Jones holds 289 sentences, grouped into 58 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 18 of The Year When Stardust Fell contain?

Chapter 18 holds 289 sentences of The Year When Stardust Fell, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Year When Stardust Fell by Raymond F. Jones exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 289 sentences, grouped into 58 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.

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Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #33660, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 406 minutes of reading across 975 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XVIII · _Balance of Nature_

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