Chapter 2 of Ultima Thule is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Ultima Thule is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man? Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.” “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk. “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine? He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
Chapter 2 of Ultima Thule is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)
From this reading “Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?”
a government administrator
From this reading “Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.””
characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
From this reading “Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?”
in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock
From this reading “Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading ““Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.”
spoil as if by poison
From this reading “He’d like to poison every new agent we get.”
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading ““Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?”
Mexican liquor made from fermented juices of an agave plant
From this reading ““Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?”
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.
a man who is very old
In this reading “Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?”
In this reading ““Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?”
In this reading ““Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.”
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.
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
a government administrator
From this reading Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.”
characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
take in liquids
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
the boundary of a surface
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.”
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
spoil as if by poison
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Sure, sure,” Sid grinned, perching himself on the edge of the desk.
Mexican liquor made from fermented juices of an agave plant
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ronny said, dazed at the conversational barrage, “Old Man?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He’d like to poison every new agent we get.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading “Did he give you that drink of tequila during working hours routine?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Oh, you mean Commissioner Metaxa.”
Chapter 2 of Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 2 holds 402 sentences of Ultima Thule, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 2 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 Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2418 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30334, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 201 minutes of reading across 484 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ultima Thule section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Ultima Thule 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 Ultima Thule, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
