LingoflyUna història de l'avi
A text in Catalan 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. Every Christmas grandpa tells the same story and adds a new detail to it: "here is how it went — the storm came in the…
Text
- Cada Nadal, l'avi conta la mateixa història i hi afegeix un detall nou: «la cosa va anar així — el temporal va arribar en plena sega, sense avisar». En aquell moment tenia dotze anys, i el camp era tota la família. Tot seguit, el vent es va emportar la teulada del paller, i per poc no s'emporta tampoc el ruc, que dormia al costat. «Si no hagués estat per la corda de l'oncle Joan, avui no tindria ni història ni ruc», diu ell. I el final? El poble sencer a la cuina de l'àvia, sis dies seguits, menjant arròs i contant versions del mateix temporal.Every Christmas grandpa tells the same story and adds a new detail to it: "here is how it went — the storm came in the thick of the harvest, without warning". At that moment he was twelve, and the field was the whole family. Right after that the wind carried off the shed's roof, and almost carried off the donkey sleeping beside it too. "Had it not been for uncle Joan's rope, today I would have neither a story nor a donkey", he says. And the finale? The whole town at grandma's kitchen, six days in a row, over rice and different versions of the same storm.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- When does grandpa tell his story?
- What did the wind carry off together with the shed's roof?
- Who, in grandpa's words, saved the donkey?
- How did it all end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Catalan?
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.