The neighborhood that learned to recycle
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. Ten years ago my neighborhood had a single container, and half of the garbage ended up on the ground. The homeowners'…
Text
- Hace diez años en mi barrio había un solo contenedor y la mitad de la basura acababa en el suelo. La asociación de vecinos empezó a recaudar fondos para poner contenedores de reciclaje en cada calle. Al principio la gente se reía: decían que eso era cosa del ayuntamiento y que nadie iba a separar el vidrio del papel. Los voluntarios pusieron carteles, hablaron con los comercios y explicaron el asunto en la guardería y en el colegio. Fueron los niños los que convencieron a sus padres, no los carteles: en casa no dejaban tirar el plástico en el cubo normal. Hoy el barrio recicla más que la media de la ciudad y ha puesto placas solares en tres edificios públicos. La mayoría de los vecinos dice que lo importante no fue el dinero, sino descubrir que se podían poner de acuerdo.Ten years ago my neighborhood had a single container, and half of the garbage ended up on the ground. The homeowners' association started raising money to put recycling containers on every street. At first people laughed: they said that was the town hall's business and that nobody would bother to separate glass from paper. The volunteers put up notices, talked to the shops and explained the matter at the nursery and at the school. It was the children who convinced the parents, not the notices: at home they did not allow plastic to be thrown into the ordinary bin. Today the neighborhood recycles more than the city average and has put solar panels on three public buildings. Most of the neighbors say the important thing was not the money, but discovering that they could come to an agreement.
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 was there in the neighborhood ten years ago?
- What did the homeowners' association do?
- Who convinced the parents?
- What do the neighbors consider the main outcome?
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.