The Year When Stardust Fell

Chapter XX · _Conquest of the Comet_

Chapter XX of The Year When Stardust Fell, “_Conquest of the Comet_,” is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 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

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

He seemed like a runner who has used his last reserve of strength to reach a goal on which his eye has been fixed, only to discover the true goal is yet an immeasurable distance ahead.

Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XX Reading 1/45

The Year When Stardust Fell Raymond F. Jones

Chapter XX

_Conquest of the Comet_

Chapter XX of The Year When Stardust Fell, “_Conquest of the Comet_,” is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father. Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space. He seemed like a runner who has used his last reserve of strength to reach a goal on which his eye has been fixed, only to discover the true goal is yet an immeasurable distance ahead. Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector. With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

The Year When Stardust Fell

Chapter XX · _Conquest of the Comet_

Chapter XX of The Year When Stardust Fell, “_Conquest of the Comet_,” is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

/fɔːr ðə fɜːrst taɪm sɪns ðə ˈkʌmɪŋ ʌv ðə ˈkɑːmət ken senst dɪˈfiːt ɪn hɪz ˈfɑːðər/

Line 2

Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

Line 3

He seemed like a runner who has used his last reserve of strength to reach a goal on which his eye has been fixed, only to discover the true goal is yet an immeasurable distance ahead.

/hiː siːmd laɪk ə ˈrʌnər huː hæz juːzd hɪz læst rɪˈzɜːrv ʌv streŋkθ tuː riːtʃ ə ɡoʊl ɑːn wɪtʃ hɪz aɪ hæz bɪn fɪkst ˈoʊnli tuː dɪˈskʌvər ðə truː ɡoʊl ɪz jet æn ˌɪˈmeʒəræbəl ˈdɪstəns əˈhed/

Line 4

Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

Line 5

With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

/wɪð ɪt ɡɔːn ənd ɔːl ðer tuːlz ənd ˈɪnstrəmənts ənd noʊts ðer wɑːz ˈsɪmpli ˈnʌθɪŋ/

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.

comet noun US /ˈkɑːmət/

(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit

From this reading “For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.”

immeasurable adjective US /ˌɪˈmeʒəræbəl/

impossible to measure

From this reading “He seemed like a runner who has used his last reserve of strength to reach a goal on which his eye has been fixed, only to discover the true goal is yet an immeasurable distance ahead.”

invader noun US /ˌɪnˈveɪdər/

someone who enters by force in order to conquer

From this reading “Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.”

obstacle noun US /ˈɑːbstəkəl/

something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted

From this reading “Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.”

powerless adjective US /ˈpaʊərləs/

lacking power

From this reading “Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.”

projector noun US /prəˈdʒektər/

an optical device for projecting a beam of light

From this reading “Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.”

runner noun US /ˈrʌnər/

someone who imports or exports without paying duties

sensed adjective US /senst/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading “For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.”

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.

immeasurable distance adjective + noun

In this reading “He seemed like a runner who has used his last reserve of strength to reach a goal on which his eye has been fixed, only to discover the true goal is yet an immeasurable distance ahead.”

reach a goal verb + article + noun counted as “reach … goal”

first time adjective + noun

In this reading “For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 seemed like a runner who has used his last reserve of strength to reach a goal on which his eye has been fixed, only to discover the true goal is yet an immeasurable distance ahead.

aheadadverbUS /əˈhed/

at or in the front

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

cometnounUS /ˈkɑːmət/

(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

constructionnounUS /kənˈstrʌkʃən/

the act of constructing something

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

discoververbUS /dɪˈskʌvər/

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

goalnounUS /ɡoʊl/

the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

hurdled

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

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

immeasurableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmeʒəræbəl/

impossible to measure

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

instrumentsnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənts/

plural of “instrument” — a device that requires skill for proper use

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

invadernounUS /ˌɪnˈveɪdər/

someone who enters by force in order to conquer

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

KennounUS /ken/

range of what one can know or understand

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

Maddox

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

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

notesnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

obstaclenounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəl/

something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

pilotverbUS /ˈpaɪlət/

operate an airplane

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

powerlessadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərləs/

lacking power

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

ProfessornounUS /prəˈfesər/

someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

projectornounUS /prəˈdʒektər/

an optical device for projecting a beam of light

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

reservenounUS /rɪˈzɜːrv/

formality and propriety of manner

runnernounUS /ˈrʌnər/

someone who imports or exports without paying duties

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

sensedadjectiveUS /senst/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading For the first time since the coming of the comet, Ken sensed defeat in his father.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

toolsnounUS /tuːlz/

plural of “tool” — an implement used in the practice of a vocation

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading With it gone, and all their tools and instruments and notes, there was simply nothing.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Professor Maddox seemed to believe at last that they were powerless before the invader out of space.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Professor Maddox had believed with all his heart and mind that they had hurdled the last obstacle with the construction of the pilot projector.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

Chapter 20 of The Year When Stardust Fell by Raymond F. Jones holds 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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 20 of The Year When Stardust Fell contain?

Chapter 20 holds 229 sentences of The Year When Stardust Fell, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Year When Stardust Fell by Raymond F. Jones exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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 20 of The Year When Stardust Fell?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Year When Stardust Fell

Common questions about reading The Year When Stardust Fell by Raymond F. Jones on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Year When Stardust Fell?

Yes. All 4873 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33660 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Year When Stardust Fell is used?

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

How long does The Year When Stardust Fell take to read?

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

How to read The Year When Stardust Fell section by section

How to work through The Year When Stardust Fell section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Year When Stardust Fell to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Year When Stardust Fell

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Year When Stardust Fell, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Jacket: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Year When Stardust Fell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Design: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Year When Stardust Fell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
James: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Year When Stardust Fell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heugh: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Year When Stardust Fell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XX · _Conquest of the Comet_

What does chapter 20 of The Year When Stardust Fell contain?

How do I study chapter 20 of The Year When Stardust Fell?

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Year When Stardust Fell

How to read The Year When Stardust Fell section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Year When Stardust Fell