A story at the station
A text in Hebrew at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. Once I was waiting at the station for a train that was forty minutes late. Just then an elderly lady asked where the…
Text
- יום אחד חיכיתי בתחנה לרכבת שהגיעה באיחור של ארבעים דקות. ממש אז גברת זקנה שאלה איפה הרציף השני. הסברתי לה שאת הרציפים שינו לפני שבוע. היא כמעט הפסידה את הרכבת, ורצנו יחד במדרגות. לפני שנכנסה, היא אמרה תודה רבה. אני רואה את הפנים שלה עד היום, למרות שהכל קרה בדקות ספורות.йом эхад хихити ба-тахана ле-ракевет ше-хигиа бэ-ихур шель арбаим дакот. мамаш аз гверет закена шала эйфо ха-рациф ха-шени. хесбарти ла ше-эт ха-рацифим шину лифней шавуа. хи кимат хефсида эт ха-ракевет, ве-рацну яхад ба-мадрегот. лифней шенихнеса, хи амра тода раба. ани роэ эт ха-паним шеля ад ха-йом, ле-мрот ше-хаколь карэ би-дакот сфурот.Once I was waiting at the station for a train that was forty minutes late. Just then an elderly lady asked where the second platform was. I explained to her that the platforms had been changed a week ago. She almost missed her train, and we ran up the stairs together. Before entering, she said a big thank you. I still see her face as if it were now, though it all happened in a matter of minutes.
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 did the lady ask?
- Why did she not find the platform?
- What happened to her train?
- What did she say at parting?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Hebrew?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
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.