A police report for the bicycle
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. On Saturday morning my bicycle was stolen from the entrance hall, although it was locked with two locks. I went to the…
Text
- El sábado por la mañana me robaron la bicicleta del portal, aunque estaba atada con dos candados. Fui a la comisaría a poner una denuncia y el policía me explicó que sin número de serie era casi imposible encontrarla. Aun así hicimos el atestado, porque el seguro de la casa solo paga si hay papel de la policía. Dos semanas después me llamaron: habían detenido a un sospechoso con cuatro bicicletas y una de ellas era la mía. Me la devolvieron sin el sillín y con una rueda torcida, pero el policía me dijo que, en comparación con otros casos, había tenido mucha suerte.On Saturday morning my bicycle was stolen from the entrance hall, although it was locked with two locks. I went to the police station to file a report, and the officer explained that without the serial number finding it was almost impossible. All the same we drew up the report, because the apartment insurance only pays if there is a paper from the police. Two weeks later they called me: they had detained a suspect with four bicycles, and one of them was mine. They returned it to me without the saddle and with a bent wheel, but the officer said that compared to other cases I had been very lucky.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where was the bicycle?
- Why did the officer consider the search almost hopeless?
- Why did they draw up the report anyway?
- In what condition was the bicycle returned?
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.