Chapter 4 of This World Is Taboo is here in full — 452 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of This World Is Taboo is here in full — 452 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Come out," he commanded through the door. "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice. But it was not quite steady. She paused. "Did I make a noise?
Chapter 4 of This World Is Taboo is here in full — 452 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading “"Come out," he commanded through the door.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “"Come out," he commanded through the door.”
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “"Did I make a noise?”
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “She paused.”
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “But it was not quite steady.”
precisely, exactly
From this reading “"I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.”
make steady
From this reading “But it was not quite steady.”
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “"I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.”
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 "Did I make a noise?
(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 "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it was not quite steady.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did I make a noise?
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Did I make a noise?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it was not quite steady.
engage in
From this reading "Did I make a noise?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading "Did I make a noise?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But it was not quite steady.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading She paused.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading But it was not quite steady.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She paused.
make steady
From this reading But it was not quite steady.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "Come out," he commanded through the door.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "I'm--I'm all right," said Maril's voice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But it was not quite steady.
Chapter 4 of This World Is Taboo by Murray Leinster holds 452 sentences, grouped into 91 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 4 holds 452 sentences of This World Is Taboo, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of This World Is Taboo by Murray Leinster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 452 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 4 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 This World Is Taboo by Murray Leinster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3190 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18172 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18172, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 265 minutes of reading across 638 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through This World Is Taboo section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of This World Is Taboo 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 This World Is Taboo, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
