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Tales of Space and Time
Tales of Space and Time

Chapter II

Cover illustration for Tales of Space and Time
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
And then came a wonder.
It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
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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.

Tales of Space and Time

Chapter II

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
Line 2
The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
Line 3
And then came a wonder.
Line 4
It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
Line 5
In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.”

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.”

Terrible noun US /ˈterrible/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.”

Thither adverb US /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading “In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.”

All words in this reading · 66

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

black

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

brighter

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

came

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

From this reading And then came a wonder.

ceased

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

down

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

Europe

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

falling

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

fled

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

floods

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

ghostly

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

grew

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

hill

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

hotter

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

houses

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

incessantly

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

Larger

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

lost

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

now

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

ocean

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

people

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

phosphorescence

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

plunged

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

rising

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

rose

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

rotation

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

ships

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

sliding

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

slopes

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

spaces

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

speckled

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

star

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

steam

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

storm-tossed

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

swiftness

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

terriblenounUS /ˈterrible/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

then

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

From this reading And then came a wonder.

thitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

thousand

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

tropical

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

upland

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

vain

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

From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.

watched

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

waves

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

whirling

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.

wonder

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

From this reading And then came a wonder.

world

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

From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.

wreaths

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

From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.