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Troubled star
Troubled star

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Troubled star is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Troubled star
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.
Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.
Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.
She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.
Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.
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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.

Troubled star

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Troubled star is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.
Line 2
Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.
Line 3
Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.
Line 4
She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.
/ʃiː tɜːrnd ˈʌndər hɪz hændz æz ðoʊ ʃiː hæd noʊ wɪl ʌv hɜːr oʊn tuː lʊk ˈɪntuː ðə ˈmɪrər ənd ɡæsp æt ðə rɪtʃ ˈbjuːti ʌv ðə dʒem/
Line 5
Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

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.

breasts noun US /brests/

plural of “breast” — the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading “Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.”

clasp verb US /klæsp/

hold firmly and tightly

From this reading “Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.”

gasp noun US /ɡæsp/

a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open

From this reading “She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.”

gem noun US /dʒem/

art highly prized for its beauty or perfection

From this reading “She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.”

immobile adjective US /ˌɪˈmoʊbəl/

not capable of movement or of being moved

From this reading “Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.”

links noun US /lɪŋks/

a golf course that is built on sandy ground near a shore

From this reading “Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.”

slide noun US /slaɪd/

a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study

From this reading “Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.”

thrill noun US /θrɪl/

the swift release of a store of affective force

From this reading “Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.”

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.

slide down verb + adjective

fall or sink heavily

In this reading “Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.”

slipped down verb + adjective counted as “slip down”

In this reading “Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.”

look into verb + particle

investigate scientifically

In this reading “She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

Barbara

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

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

breastsnounUS /brests/

plural of “breast” — the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

chestnounUS /tʃest/

the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

chillnounUS /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

chinnounUS /tʃɪn/

the protruding part of the lower jaw

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

claspverbUS /klæsp/

hold firmly and tightly

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

DeliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

fastenedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsənd/

firmly closed or secured

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

gaspnounUS /ɡæsp/

a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

gemnounUS /dʒem/

art highly prized for its beauty or perfection

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

gentlyadverbUS /ˈdʒentli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

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 Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

hollowadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːloʊ/

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

immobileadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmoʊbəl/

not capable of movement or of being moved

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

jewel-stone

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

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

leanedverbUS /liːnd/

past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

linksnounUS /lɪŋks/

a golf course that is built on sandy ground near a shore

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

mirrornounUS /ˈmɪrər/

polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

Scyth

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

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

slidenounUS /slaɪd/

a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

slippedverbUS /slɪpt/

inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

thrillnounUS /θrɪl/

the swift release of a store of affective force

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

tinyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Barbara stood immobile as Scyth put his hands to the back of her neck and fastened the clasp.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading Deliberately he let the tiny links slide down across her shoulders, let the chill of the cold jewel-stone thrill her as it slipped down her chest towards the hollow between her breasts.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Then, gently, Scyth took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror on the door.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading She turned under his hands as though she had no will of her own, to look into the mirror and gasp at the rich beauty of the gem.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Scyth drew her back against him and she leaned gently with her forehead against his chin.

Chapter 4 of Troubled star by George O. (George Oliver) Smith holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 of Troubled star contain?

Chapter 4 holds 422 sentences of Troubled star, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Troubled star by George O. (George Oliver) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 of Troubled star?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Troubled star

Common questions about reading Troubled star by George O. (George Oliver) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Troubled star?

Yes. All 3030 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69190 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Troubled star is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69190, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Troubled star take to read?

About 252 minutes of reading across 606 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Troubled star section by section

How to work through Troubled star section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Troubled star 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 Troubled star

Words and structures a reader meets early in Troubled star, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Least
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Troubled star; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Troubled star; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Generation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Troubled star; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Turns
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Troubled star; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.