The first marathon
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. A year ago I did not train, and after a kilometer I began to sweat. I started going to the gym: first a warm-up, then…
Text
- לפני שנה לא התאמנתי, ואחרי קילומטר התחלתי להזיע. התחלתי ללכת למכון כושר: קודם חימום, אחר כך מכשירים קלים. אחרי שלושה חודשים רצתי עשרה קילומטרים בלי הפסק. במרתון היה הרבה רצים ואוהדים, ושכחתי את הפחד. עברתי את קו הסיום בארבע שעות, בלי מדליה, אבל עם שיא חדש לעצמי.лифней шана ло хитаманти, ве-ахарей километр хитхальти лехазья. хитхальти лалехет ле-михон кошер: кодэм химум, ахар кач михшарим калим. ахарей шлоша ходашим рацти асара километрим бли хафсака. бе-маратон хая харбэ рацим ве-охадим, ве-шкахти эт ха-пахад. аварти эт кв ха-сиюм бе-арба шаот, бли медалия, аваль им шиа хадаш ле-ацми.A year ago I did not train, and after a kilometer I began to sweat. I started going to the gym: first a warm-up, then light machines. After three months I ran ten kilometers without a break. At the marathon there were many runners and fans, and I forgot fear. I crossed the finish line in four hours, without a medal, but with a new record for myself.
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 he start with?
- How much did he run after three months?
- What did he forget at the marathon?
- How did the marathon end?
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.