Chapter 3 of Worlds of the Imperium is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Worlds of the Imperium is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There was a scratching sound which irritated me. I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up. I was lying on my back, eyes closed. I couldn't think where I was. I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
Chapter 3 of Worlds of the Imperium is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading “I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.”
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.”
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading “There was a scratching sound which irritated me.”
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading “There was a scratching sound which irritated me.”
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.”
just below the level of consciousness
From this reading “I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.”
without success
From this reading “I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.”
interlace by or as if by weaving
From this reading “I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.”
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 “I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.”
lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime
In this reading “I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.”
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 There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I was lying on my back, eyes closed.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading I was lying on my back, eyes closed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn't think where I was.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
opinion or judgment
From this reading I was lying on my back, eyes closed.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading I was lying on my back, eyes closed.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was lying on my back, eyes closed.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
just below the level of consciousness
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I remembered a frightening dream about being followed, and then as I became aware of pain in my shoulder and head, my eyes snapped open.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I couldn't think where I was.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
without success
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
interlace by or as if by weaving
From this reading I tried unsuccessfully to weave it into a couple of dreams before my subconscious gave up.
in or at the place that
From this reading I couldn't think where I was.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a scratching sound which irritated me.
Chapter 3 of Worlds of the Imperium by Keith Laumer holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 3 holds 443 sentences of Worlds of the Imperium, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Worlds of the Imperium by Keith Laumer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 3 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 Worlds of the Imperium by Keith Laumer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3918 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65792 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #65792, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 326 minutes of reading across 784 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Worlds of the Imperium section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Worlds of the Imperium 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 Worlds of the Imperium, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
