The uptown neighborhood
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. I live in a neighborhood on the outskirts, twenty minutes from the center by bus. It used to be a quiet place: two…
Text
- Vivo en un barrio de las afueras al que se llega en veinte minutos de autobús desde el centro. Antes era un sitio tranquilo, con dos calles, una farola cada cincuenta metros y bancos vacíos en la plaza. Desde que abrieron el puente nuevo hay mucha gente a todas horas y en hora punta el autobús va tan lleno que no encuentras sitio. Llevamos medio año con obras en la carretera de entrada, y los carteles indicadores mandan a todo el mundo por un callejón imposible. Aun así no me mudaría: la acera está limpia, el aseo público del parque funciona y desde el paseo se ve el mar.I live in a neighborhood on the outskirts, twenty minutes from the center by bus. It used to be a quiet place: two streets, a streetlamp every fifty meters and empty benches on the square. Since the new bridge opened, it is crowded here at all hours, and at rush hour the bus is so packed you cannot find a place. For half a year the road at the entrance has been under repair, and the signs send everyone through an impossible alley. Still, I would not move: the sidewalk is clean, the public restroom in the park works, and from the promenade you can see the sea.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How far is the neighborhood from the center?
- What changed after the bridge opened?
- What troubles the residents now?
- Why does the narrator not move?
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.