The river that came back
A short in Spanish text at level B1. 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. For twenty years the river flowing through my city was almost an open sewer, and nobody went near the bank. Three…
Text
- Durante veinte años el río que pasa por mi ciudad fue prácticamente una cloaca abierta, y nadie se acercaba a la orilla. Tres fábricas vertían sus aguas residuales sin depurar, y el olor en verano llegaba hasta la plaza mayor. La primera medida no fue ecológica sino económica: cerró una de las fábricas y las otras dos tuvieron que instalar depuradoras. Después vino un plan de la ciudad para recuperar la ribera, con ajardinamiento, un carril bici y multas serias por tirar basura. Lo más difícil no fue el dinero, sino convencer a la gente de que un río sucio no es un destino natural. Diez años después han vuelto los peces, y con ellos una bandada de garzas que nadie recordaba haber visto antes. El agua todavía no es potable y algunos cambios en el fondo son irreversibles, pero por primera vez la ciudad mira hacia el río en vez de darle la espalda.For twenty years the river flowing through my city was almost an open sewer, and nobody went near the bank. Three factories discharged untreated wastewater, and in summer the smell reached the main square. The first measure was not ecological but economic: one factory closed, and the other two had to install treatment plants. Then came a city plan to restore the riverside, with landscaping, a bike lane and serious fines for littering. The hardest thing was not finding the money but convincing people that a dirty river is not a natural given. Ten years later the fish have returned, and with them a flock of herons nobody here remembered seeing before. The water is not drinkable yet, and some changes on the bottom are irreversible, but for the first time the city looks at the river instead of turning its back on it.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did nobody go near the river?
- What was the first measure?
- What turned out to be the hardest?
- What is the situation today?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Spanish?
B1. 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.