The exam on the first try
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. I took the car exam at twenty-nine, much later than my friends. The instructor said to drive calmly, otherwise I will…
Text
- عملت امتحان السيارة في التاسعة والعشرين، متأخرا كثيرا عن أصدقائي. قال المعلم أن أقود بهدوء، وإلا أخطأت من التوتر. في الامتحان تبيّن أن الأصعب هو صف السيارة بين سيارتين. ذهبت كثيرا إلى اليمين، لكن عدت، والمعلم لم يقول كلمة. على حد علمي، نصف الناس لا يجتازون الامتحان من المحاولة الأولى. أنا نجحت من المحاولة الأولى، غالبا بسبب التدريب كل نهاية أسبوع.ʿамиля ибтихаан ас-саййаара фи ат-тасиʿа ва-ль-ʿишриин, мутаʾаххиран кясиран ʿан асдигааʾий. кааля аль-муʿаллим ан агууда би-худууʿ, ва-илля ухтаʾту мин ат-таваттур. фи аль-имтихаан табаяйана анн аль-аʿса хува сафф ас-саййаара байн саййааратайн. захабту кясиран иля аль-ямин, лякин ʿодту, ва-ль-муʿаллим лям йягуль кальма. ʿаля хадд ʿильми, нисф ан-нас ля йаджтаазууна аль-имтихаан мин аль-мухаваль аль-ууля. ана наджахту мин аль-мухаваль аль-ууля, гаалибан би-сабаб ат-тадрииб куль нихаят усбууʿ.I took the car exam at twenty-nine, much later than my friends. The instructor said to drive calmly, otherwise I will make a mistake from stress. At the exam it turned out that the hardest is parking the car between two cars. I went far to the right but returned, and the instructor said not a word. As far as I know, half of the people do not pass the exam on the first try. I passed on the first try, most likely because of the practice every week.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- At what age did he take the exam?
- What did the instructor advise?
- What turned out to be the hardest?
- Why did he pass on the first try?
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.