The neighbor on the third floor
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. The neighbor on the third floor had a reputation as an unpleasant man, and for two years nobody in the building said…
Text
- El vecino del tercero tenía fama de antipático, y durante dos años nadie en el edificio le dirigió más de tres palabras seguidas. No saludaba, no venía a las juntas y una vez le reprochó a mi madre el ruido de la lavadora a las diez de la noche. La gente decía que era un egoísta; yo creo que simplemente era reservado y bastante orgulloso. El invierno pasado se rompió una tubería en su piso y el agua llegó al mío, y él bajó a avisar antes de que yo me diera cuenta. Se quedó ayudando a secar el suelo hasta las dos de la mañana y no dejó que le pagáramos ni la mitad del fontanero. Desde entonces hablamos casi a diario, y he descubierto que tiene una paciencia enorme y un humor muy seco. No creo que la gente cambie tanto en un invierno; creo que juzgamos demasiado rápido y luego no volvemos a mirar.The neighbor on the third floor had a reputation as an unpleasant man, and for two years nobody in the building said more than three words in a row to him. He did not greet anyone, did not come to the meetings, and once reproached my mother for the noise of the washing machine at ten at night. People said he was an egotist; I think he was simply reserved and rather proud. Last winter a pipe burst in his apartment, the water reached mine, and he came down to warn me before I noticed. He stayed to help dry the floor until two in the morning and did not let us pay him even half of the plumber's fee. Since then we talk almost every day, and I have discovered that he has enormous patience and a very dry humor. I do not think people change that much in one winter; I think we judge too quickly and then never look again.
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 reputation did the neighbor have?
- What happened last winter?
- How did he behave?
- What conclusion does the narrator draw?
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.