Two months without speaking
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. Marta and I had been friends for fifteen years, and for two months we did not speak over a trifle. It all started when…
Text
- Con Marta llevábamos quince años de amistad y estuvimos dos meses sin hablarnos por una tontería. Todo empezó porque conté delante de otra gente algo suyo que ella me había dicho en confianza. Ella se ofendió, yo me puse a justificarme en vez de pedir perdón, y aquello se convirtió en una discusión de gritos. Al final fue su hermana quien me llamó y me dijo que Marta también lo estaba pasando mal y que me echaba de menos. Quedamos un domingo, hicimos las paces en diez minutos y nos dio rabia haber perdido dos meses por orgullo.Marta and I had been friends for fifteen years, and for two months we did not speak over a trifle. It all started when I told strangers something about her that she had told me in confidence. She took offense, I began justifying myself instead of apologizing, and it all turned into a shouting quarrel. In the end her sister called and said that Marta was having a hard time too and that she missed me. We met on Sunday, made up in ten minutes, and we felt vexed that two months had been lost to pride.
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 started the quarrel?
- How did the narrator behave right after the offense?
- Who helped them start talking again?
- What did they feel after making up?
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.