The night of the blackout
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. Here is what happened: it was Tuesday, we were having dinner, and suddenly the power went out in the whole…
Text
- La cosa fue así: era martes, estábamos cenando y de pronto se fue la luz en todo el barrio. Nada más apagarse, se oyó a los vecinos abriendo puertas, y en cinco minutos media escalera estaba en el portal con linternas. Yo no me lo esperaba, porque el técnico ya había revisado la instalación en marzo y había dicho que estaba todo bien. Según un vecino que trabaja en la compañía, el problema no era nuestro: había reventado un cable a dos calles de aquí. Lo curioso es lo que pasó después: alguien sacó una radio, otro bajó unas sillas, y acabamos hablando dos horas a oscuras. Cuando volvió la luz, a la una de la madrugada, casi nos dio pena, y eso que llevábamos años sin saludarnos más que en el ascensor. Ahora, cuando alguien se queja de que ya nadie se conoce en el edificio, hay quien contesta que hace falta otro apagón.Here is what happened: it was Tuesday, we were having dinner, and suddenly the power went out in the whole neighborhood. As soon as it went out you could hear the neighbors opening their doors, and five minutes later half the staircase was standing downstairs with flashlights. I was not expecting it, because a technician had checked the wiring back in March and said everything was fine. According to a neighbor who works at the power company, the problem was not ours: a cable had burst two streets away. The curious thing is what happened after: someone brought out a radio, someone brought down chairs, and we spent two hours talking in the dark. When the power came back on at one in the morning, we almost felt sorry, even though for years we had greeted each other only in the elevator. Now, when someone complains that everybody in the building is a stranger, there is always someone who answers: we need another blackout.
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 did the power go out?
- What was the cause?
- What happened after?
- What do they answer now to complaints about stranger neighbors?
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.