When the Sun went out

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of When the Sun went out is here in full — 332 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Leslie F. (Leslie Francis) Stone • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for When the Sun went out

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The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

Just as she no longer had the Moon, her Lamp of Ages, to light the night skies as she whirled on her course through the limitless ocean of Space, so now she was about to lose the Sun which, after billions of years, was at last burning out.

Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

Narrator

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.

Chapter I Reading 1/66

When the Sun went out Leslie F. (Leslie Francis) Stone

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of When the Sun went out is here in full — 332 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world. Just as she no longer had the Moon, her Lamp of Ages, to light the night skies as she whirled on her course through the limitless ocean of Space, so now she was about to lose the Sun which, after billions of years, was at last burning out. Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light. History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe. It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

When the Sun went out

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of When the Sun went out is here in full — 332 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

Line 2

/dʒʌst æz ʃiː noʊ ˈlɔːŋɡər hæd ðə muːn hɜːr læmp ʌv ˈeɪdʒəz tuː laɪt ðə naɪt skaɪz æz ʃiː wɜːrld ɑːn hɜːr kɔːrs θruː ðə ˈlɪmətləs ˈoʊʃən ʌv speɪs soʊ naʊ ʃiː wɑːz əˈbaʊt tuː luːz ðə sʌn wɪtʃ ˈæftər ˈbɪljənz ʌv jɪrz wɑːz æt læst ˈbɜːrnɪŋ aʊt/

Line 3

Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

/koʊld ˈsɑːmbər ˈdɑːrknəs ʌv ˌevərˈlæstɪŋ naɪt wɑːz tuː ɪnˈɡʌlf ðə eɪt ˈplænəts tuː wɪtʃ oʊld sɑːl hæd wʌns ˈɡɪvən hiːt ənd laɪt/

Line 4

History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

/ˈhɪstəri telz ʌv ðə sʌn ɪn ɔːl ɪts ˈɡlɔːri ʌv ə braɪt wɔːrm ɜːrθ ʌv dʒɔɪ ɑːn ðə ɡloʊb/

Line 5

It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

/ɪt telz tuː ʌv ðə muːn ə ʃel set əˈɡloʊ baɪ ðə sʌnz reɪz ənd rɪˈflektɪŋ ɑːn ɜːrθ ðə ˈbjuːti ʌv ˈsɪlvəri laɪt/

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.

aglow adjective US /əˈɡloʊ/

softly bright or radiant

From this reading “It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.”

billions noun US /ˈbɪljənz/

plural of “billion” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen

From this reading “Just as she no longer had the Moon, her Lamp of Ages, to light the night skies as she whirled on her course through the limitless ocean of Space, so now she was about to lose the Sun which, after billions of years, was at last burning out.”

engulf verb US /ɪnˈɡʌlf/

devote (oneself) fully to

From this reading “Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.”

limitless adjective US /ˈlɪmətləs/

without limits in extent or size or quantity

planets noun US /ˈplænəts/

plural of “planet” — (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading “Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.”

Sol noun US /sɑːl/

a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid

From this reading “Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.”

somber adjective US /ˈsɑːmbər/

lacking brightness or color; dull

From this reading “Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.”

sun's noun US /sʌnz/

possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading “It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.”

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.

sun's rays noun + noun counted as “sun ray”

In this reading “It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.”

complete darkness verb + noun

In this reading “The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.”

on Earth preposition + noun

used with question words to convey surprise

In this reading “It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Just as she no longer had the Moon, her Lamp of Ages, to light the night skies as she whirled on her course through the limitless ocean of Space, so now she was about to lose the Sun which, after billions of years, was at last burning out.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

AgesnounUS /ˈeɪdʒəz/

plural of “age” — how long something has existed

aglowadjectiveUS /əˈɡloʊ/

softly bright or radiant

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

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 History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

billionsnounUS /ˈbɪljənz/

plural of “billion” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

coatnounUS /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

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 Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/

causing dejection

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

engulfverbUS /ɪnˈɡʌlf/

devote (oneself) fully to

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

everlastingadjectiveUS /ˌevərˈlæstɪŋ/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

globenounUS /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

HistorynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

LampnounUS /læmp/

an artificial source of visible illumination

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

limitlessadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətləs/

without limits in extent or size or quantity

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

loseverbUS /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

MoonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

oceannounUS /ˈoʊʃən/

a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

planetsnounUS /ˈplænəts/

plural of “planet” — (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

reflectingadjectiveUS /rɪˈflektɪŋ/

causing reflection or having a device that reflects

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

shellnounUS /ʃel/

ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

silveryadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlvəri/

resembling or reminiscent of silver

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

skiesnounUS /skaɪz/

plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

SolnounUS /sɑːl/

a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

somberadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːmbər/

lacking brightness or color; dull

From this reading Cold somber darkness of everlasting night was to engulf the eight planets to which old Sol had once given heat and light.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

SpacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

sun'snounUS /sʌnz/

possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

sunlessadjective

filled or abounding with clouds

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

tellsnounUS /telz/

plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It tells, too, of the moon, a shell set aglow by the sun's rays and reflecting on Earth the beauty of silvery light.

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading History tells of the Sun in all its glory, of a bright, warm Earth, of joy on the globe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/

past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

wrappedadjectiveUS /ræpt/

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading The dying Earth lay wrapped in its dismal coat of what was soon to be the complete darkness of a sunless world.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

Chapter 1 of When the Sun went out by Leslie F. (Leslie Francis) Stone holds 332 sentences, grouped into 67 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 When the Sun went out contain?

Chapter 1 holds 332 sentences of When the Sun went out, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of When the Sun went out by Leslie F. (Leslie Francis) Stone exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 332 sentences, grouped into 67 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 When the Sun went out?

Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 67 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.

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Chapter I

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