Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
This Is the End
This Is the End

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of This Is the End is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for This Is the End
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.
There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.
Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.
System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.
There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

This Is the End

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of This Is the End is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.
Line 2
There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.
/ðer ɪz noʊ ˈriːzən ɪn ˈtændʒəbəl θɪŋz ənd noʊ ˈsɪstəm ɪn ðə ˈɔːrdəneri weɪz ʌv ðə wɜːrld/
Line 3
Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.
/hændz wɜːr meɪd tuː ɡroʊp ənd fiːt tuː ˈstʌmbəl ənd ðə ˈoʊnli θɪŋz juː meɪ kaʊnt ɑːn ɑːr ðə ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbəl θɪŋz/
Line 4
System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.
/ˈsɪstəm ɪz ə ˈferi ənd ə driːm juː ˈnevər faɪnd ˈsɪstəm wer ɔːr wen juː ɪkˈspekt ɪt/
Line 5
There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.

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.

conclusion noun US /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading “This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.”

fairy noun US /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading “System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.”

grope verb US /ɡroʊp/

feel about uncertainly or blindly

From this reading “Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.”

reasons noun US /ˈriːzənz/

plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading “There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.”

stumble verb US /ˈstʌmbəl/

walk unsteadily

From this reading “Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.”

system noun US /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading “There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.”

tangible adjective US /ˈtændʒəbəl/

perceptible by the senses especially the sense of touch

From this reading “There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.”

unaccountable adjective US /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbəl/

not to be accounted for or explained

From this reading “Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

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 This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

conclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

countverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

don't

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

From this reading There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

gropeverbUS /ɡroʊp/

feel about uncertainly or blindly

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

HandsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

reasonsnounUS /ˈriːzənz/

plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading There are no reasons except reasons you and I don't know.

stumbleverbUS /ˈstʌmbəl/

walk unsteadily

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

tangibleadjectiveUS /ˈtændʒəbəl/

perceptible by the senses especially the sense of touch

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

unaccountableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbəl/

not to be accounted for or explained

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

unfinal

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

From this reading This is the end, for the moment, of all my thinking, this is my unfinal conclusion.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading System is a fairy and a dream, you never find system where or when you expect it.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading There is no reason in tangible things, and no system in the ordinary ways of the world.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Hands were made to grope, and feet to stumble, and the only things you may count on are the unaccountable things.

Chapter 1 of This Is the End by Stella Benson holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 This Is the End contain?

Chapter 1 holds 410 sentences of This Is the End, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of This Is the End by Stella Benson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 This Is the End?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 This Is the End

Common questions about reading This Is the End by Stella Benson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of This Is the End?

Yes. All 2848 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11324 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of This Is the End is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11324, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does This Is the End take to read?

About 237 minutes of reading across 570 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read This Is the End section by section

How to work through This Is the End section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of This Is the End 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 This Is the End

Words and structures a reader meets early in This Is the End, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Moment
A word that appears in the opening chapter of This Is the End; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thinking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of This Is the End; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unfinal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of This Is the End; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Conclusion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of This Is the End; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.