The first contract
A text in Arabic at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. After three interviews Samira was hired at a small furniture factory. The employment contract is for one year, and the…
Text
- بعد ثلاث مقابلات وظّفوا سمير في مصنع صغير للأثاث. عقد العمل لعام واحد, والفترة التجريبية ثلاثة أشهر. ساعات العمل من الثامنة إلى الخامسة, وساعات إضافية في نهاية الشهر فقط. مهامّه في العقد: مشروع صغير وتقرير شهري. الراتب ليس كبيرا جدا, لكن عنده إجازة مدفوعة ومكافأة كل عام. أحسن شيء أنه لا يذهب في رحلات عمل كثيرة.баʿд саляас мукабаляат ваззафуу самиир фи маʿмаль сагиир ли-ль-асаат. ʿакд аль-ʿамаль ли-ʿаам ваахид, ва-ль-фитра ат-таджриибийя саляасат ашхур. сааʿаат аль-ʿамаль мин ас-саамина иля аль-хаамиса, ва-сааʿаат идаафийя фи нихайат аш-шахр факат. махиаммуху фи аль-ʿакд: машрууʿ сагиир ва-такриир шахрий. ар-раатиб лайса кябиран джиддан, лякинн ʿиндаху иджааза мадфуʿа ва-макаафаа куль ʿаам. ахсан шайʾ аннаху ля йадхабу фи рихлят ʿамаль кясиира.After three interviews Samira was hired at a small furniture factory. The employment contract is for one year, and the trial period is three months. The hours are from eight to five, and overtime only at the end of the month. His tasks in the contract: a small project and a monthly report. The salary is not very big, but he has paid vacation and a bonus every year. The best thing is that he does not go on frequent business trips.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How many interviews were there?
- What is the term of the contract?
- What is in his tasks?
- What pleases him most?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Arabic?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.