🔊 The mountains he had ever known were the three volcanoes, which came up to his knees. And he used the extinct volcano as a footstool. "From a mountain as high as this," he said to himself, "I shall be able to see the whole planet at one glance, and all the people ..."

The only mountains he knew were the three volcanoes, which only came up to his knees. He used the dead volcano as a footrest. "From a mountain this high," he thought, "I will see the whole planet at once, and all the people..."

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volcanoes /vɒlˈkeɪnəʊz/

n. A mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapour, and gas are or have been erupted from the earth's crust.

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extinct /ɪkˈstɪŋkt/

adj. (of a volcano) not having erupted in recorded history and not expected to erupt again.

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footstool /ˈfʊtstuːl/

n. A low stool for resting the feet on when sitting.

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glance /ɡlɑːns/

n. A brief or hurried look.

🔊 But he saw nothing, save peaks of rock that were sharpened like needles. "Good morning," he said courteously.

But he saw nothing except sharp rock peaks that looked like needles. "Good morning," he said politely.

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peaks /piːks/

n. The pointed tops of mountains.

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sharpened /ˈʃɑːpənd/

adj. Made or become sharp or sharper.

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courteously /ˈkɜːtiəsli/

adv. In a polite, respectful, or considerate manner.

🔊 "Good morning—Good morning—Good morning," answered the echo.

"Good morning—Good morning—Good morning," the echo replied.

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echo /ˈekəʊ/

n. A sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.

🔊 "Who are you—Who are you—Who are you?" answered the echo.

"Who are you—Who are you—Who are you?" the echo answered.

🔊 "Be my friends. I am all alone," he said.

"Be my friends. I am so alone," he said.

🔊 "I am all alone—all alone—all alone," answered the echo.

"I am so alone—so alone—so alone," the echo answered.

🔊 "What a queer planet!" he thought. "It is altogether dry, and altogether pointed, and altogether harsh and forbidding. And the people have no imagination. They repeat whatever one says to them..."

"What a strange planet!" he thought. "It is completely dry, completely sharp, and completely rough and unfriendly. And the people here have no imagination. They just repeat whatever you say to them..."

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queer /kwɪə(r)/

adj. Strange; odd.

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altogether /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðə(r)/

adv. Completely; totally.

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harsh /hɑːʃ/

adj. Unpleasantly rough or jarring to the senses.

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forbidding /fəˈbɪdɪŋ/

adj. Unfriendly or threatening in appearance.

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imagination /ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃn/

n. The faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.

Chapter XIX