The January flu
A short in Spanish text at level A2. 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. In January the whole household caught it, except my grandmother — the only one who had gotten the vaccine. It started…
Text
- En enero se contagió toda la casa menos mi abuela, que es la única que se había puesto la vacuna. Empezó el pequeño, con fiebre y dolor de garganta, y en tres días estábamos los cuatro en la cama. Mi hermana quería antibióticos, pero en el centro de salud le dijeron que era un virus y que el antibiótico no sirve para nada. Nos mandaron descansar, beber mucha agua y tomar algo para el dolor solo si hacía falta. Lo peor no fue la fiebre, sino la tos de la noche: nadie pegó ojo durante una semana. Mi abuela iba de cuarto en cuarto con la mascarilla puesta, abría las ventanas y nos obligaba a lavarnos las manos cada dos por tres. Este año nos hemos vacunado todos, y no por convencimiento científico, sino porque nadie quiere repetir aquel enero.In January the whole household caught it, except my grandmother — the only one who had gotten the vaccine. It started with the youngest, with fever and a sore throat, and after three days all four of us were in bed. My sister demanded antibiotics, but at the health center they told her it was a virus and an antibiotic was no use at all. We were told to rest, drink a lot and take something for the pain only if needed. The worst was not the fever but the cough at night: for a week nobody closed an eye. My grandmother went from room to room wearing a mask, opened the windows and kept making us wash our hands. This year we have all been vaccinated, not out of scientific conviction, but because nobody wants to repeat that January.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Who in the house did not get sick?
- What did they tell the sister at the health center?
- What was the worst?
- Why did everyone get vaccinated this year?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Spanish?
A2. 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.