Chapter 5 of Ultima Thule is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Ultima Thule is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ronny was irritated by her know-all air. He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger. “They don’t control the government. Avalon’s got a three-party system. Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
Chapter 5 of Ultima Thule is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 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.
serving or used in place of another
From this reading “Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.””
power to direct or determine
From this reading ““They don’t control the government.”
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading “He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.”
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading ““They don’t control the government.”
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading “Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.”
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading “Avalon’s got a three-party system.”
in a condition for letting out liquid drawn out as by piercing or drawing a plug
From this reading “He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.”
a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative
From this reading “Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.””
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.
In this reading “Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.””
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 He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
serving or used in place of another
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Avalon’s got a three-party system.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
power to direct or determine
From this reading “They don’t control the government.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They don’t control the government.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Avalon’s got a three-party system.
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading “They don’t control the government.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
someone who thinks he knows everything and refuses to accept advice or information from others
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading Avalon’s got a three-party system.
in a condition for letting out liquid drawn out as by piercing or drawing a plug
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They don’t control the government.
involving three parties or elements
From this reading Avalon’s got a three-party system.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative
From this reading Any time the people don’t like the government, they can vote in an alternative.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ronny was irritated by her know-all air.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He tapped the book he’d been reading with a finger.
Chapter 5 of Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 5 holds 400 sentences of Ultima Thule, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 5 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.
