An argument about new windows
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. In our house there was a meeting: what to do about the old windows. According to the building manager, new windows are…
Text
- בבניין שלנו הייתה פגישה: מה לעשות עם החלונות הישנים. לדברי הבוס של הבניין, חלונות חדשים זה יתרון גדול: פחות חשמל. שכן אחד נגד: הוא הרים את הקול ואמר שהכול יקר. אחרי הרבה דברים, הוא הכיר בטעות שלו. בסוף החליטו: סקר בין האנשים, וההחלטה — בנובמבר.ба-бняин шеляну хайта фгиша: ма ле-асот им ха-халонот ха-йешаним. лидварей ха-бос шель ха-бняин, халонот хадашим зэ итрон гадоль: фахот хашмаль. шахэн эхад нэгэд: ху хэрим эт ха-коль ве-амар ше-ха-коль йакар. ахарей харбэ дварим, ху хикир би-таут шело. ба-сов хахлиту: сэкэр бейн ха-анашим, ве-ха-хахлата — бэ-новэмбер.In our house there was a meeting: what to do about the old windows. According to the building manager, new windows are a big advantage: less electricity. One neighbor was against: he raised his voice and said that everything is expensive. After many words he admitted his mistake. In the end they decided: a survey among the people, and the decision — in November.
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 the meeting about?
- What did the building manager say?
- Why was the neighbor against?
- What did they decide in the 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.