A week without cigarettes
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 smoked for fifteen years, and every morning began with coffee and smoke. Last year the doctor, after an examination…
Text
- دخّنت خمس عشرة سنة، وكل صباح بدأت بالقهوة والدخان. السنة الماضية قال الطبيب بعد الفحص إن في الرئتين التهابا. وقال إن الدخان ضار للقلب أيضا، وطلب مني أقلع عنه. الأسبوع الأول كان الأصعب، وفي الليل كان الأرق معي. الآن أمشي ثلاث مرات في الأسبوع وأشعر بتحسن من قبل. عبثا كنت أعتقد أنني لا أستطيع.даххант хамс ʿашар сана, ва-куль сабаах бадаʾту би-ль-кахва ва-д-духаан. ас-сана аль-маадийа кааля ат-табииб баʿд аль-фахс инн фи ар-риʾатайн ильтихааб. ва-кааля инн ад-духаан даарр ли-ль-кальб айдан, ва-таляба минни аглаʿ ʿанху. аль-усбууʿ аль-аувваль кян аль-аʿса, ва-фи аль-лайль кян аль-арак маʿий. аль-аан амший саляс маррат фи аль-усбууʿ ва-ашʿур би-тахассун мин габль. ʿабасан кунту аʿтакид аннани ля астатыʿ.I smoked for fifteen years, and every morning began with coffee and smoke. Last year the doctor, after an examination, said there is an inflammation in the lungs. And he said the smoke is harmful to the heart too, and asked me to quit. The first week was the hardest, and at night I had insomnia. Now I walk three times a week and feel an improvement over before. In vain I thought I could not.
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 years did he smoke?
- What did the doctor find?
- What tormented him the first week?
- What does he do now?
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.