The box of broken things
A short in Spanish text at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. In my parents' house there is a cardboard box where everything that breaks and that nobody throws away ends up. Inside…
Text
- En casa de mis padres hay una caja de cartón donde va a parar todo lo que se rompe y nadie tira. Dentro hay un reloj sin cristal, una taza con el asa pegada, una llave oxidada y un mando descolorido por el sol. Mi madre dice que la mitad de esas cosas todavía sirven y que el resto sirve para piezas. Mi padre abre la caja dos veces al año, mira el contenido por encima y la vuelve a cerrar sin tocar nada. Yo intenté vaciarla el verano pasado y acabé sacando solo tres cosas: una fue un cable pegajoso que ni se sabía de qué era. Lo curioso es que la caja funciona: el año pasado se rompió el grifo y el tornillo que hacía falta estaba allí, entre los cascotes. Ahora yo tengo mi propia caja, más pequeña, y también la abro dos veces al año sin tirar nada.In my parents' house there is a cardboard box where everything that breaks and that nobody throws away ends up. Inside there is a clock without glass, a cup with a glued handle, a rusty key and a remote control faded by the sun. My mother says half of those things still work and the rest are good for spare parts. My father opens the box twice a year, glances over the contents and closes it without touching anything. Last summer I tried to empty it and ended up taking out only three things: one was a sticky cable from who knows what. The curious thing is that the box works: last year the faucet broke, and the needed screw turned up right there, among the debris. Now I have my own box, a smaller one, and I also open it twice a year, throwing nothing away.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What is in the box?
- What does the father do after opening the box?
- What was found in the box last year?
- How did the narrator's attempt end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Spanish?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
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.