Paperak eta gutunak
A short in Basque 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. Mayalen wants to take courses at one of the universities of Ireland, and for a week now she has been preparing her…
Text
- Maialen Irlandako unibertsitate bateko ikastaro batera joan nahi da, eta astebete darama paperak prestatzen. Lehenik pasaportea begiratu du: iraungita dago, beraz berritzeko eskaera aurkeztu behar izan du. Gero ziurtagiri bat eskatu du ikastetxeari, dokumentu-zenbakia gogoan izateko; funtzionarioak esan dio datu pertsonalak ondo idaztea derrigorrezkoa dela. Azkenik amaierako baimena jaso du, irlandar ikastetxeak bidalitako gutunarekin batera. Larunbatean posta bulegora joan da eskaera osoa bidaltzera. Langileak galdetu dio zer nahi duen: nazioarteko paketea ala gutun erregistratua. Maialenek nazioarteko paketea aukeratu du, banaketa azkarrarekin: astebetean iristen da, eta eskaerak ez du epemugarik gal behar. Bidaltzailearen izena atzean idatzi du eta posta-kodea gutunaren gainean; orain zain egongo da, hatzak gurutzatuta.Mayalen wants to take courses at one of the universities of Ireland, and for a week now she has been preparing her papers. First she looked at her passport: the term had expired, so she had to file an application for renewal. Then she asked the school for a certificate, to remember the number of the document; the clerk told her that personal data must be written correctly — that is obligatory. Finally she received the last permit together with the letter sent by the Irish school. On Saturday she went to the post office to send the whole application. The clerk asked what she wanted: an international package or a registered letter. Mayalen chose the international package with express delivery: it arrives within a week, and the application must not miss the deadline. She wrote the sender's name on the back and the postal code on the envelope; now she will wait, fingers crossed.
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 happened to Mayalen's passport?
- What is obligatory when filling in, the clerk said?
- What did Mayalen choose at the post office?
- How long does the chosen delivery take?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Basque?
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.