The exams of the first semester
A short in Western Armenian 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 exams of the first semester began. The hardest was chemistry, and I prepared for the exam for two weeks.…
Text
- Հունուարին առաջին կիսամեակի քննութիւնները սկսան: Ամենադժուարը քիմիան էր, եւ ես երկու շաբաթ քննութեանը կը պատրաստուէի: Ամէն երեկոյյ դասագիրքը կը բացէի եւ նիւթը կը կրկնէի: Դասընկերս ըսաւ, որ բանաձեւերը պէտք է անգիր ընել, եւ ան ճիշտ էր: Քննութեան օրը շատ կ'անհանգստանայի, բայց տասնութ միաւոր հաւաքեցի: Մաթեմատիկայէ գնահատականս աւելի ցածր էր, սակայն ֆիզիկայի քննութենէ կտրուեցի: Վերահանձնումը ապրիլին է, եւ այս անգամ աւելի շուտ պիտի սկսիմ:hunuarin arrachin gisameagi k'nnut'yunnerə sgsan Amenatzhuarə k'imian er, yev yes yergu shapat' k'nnut'eanə gə badrasduei Amen yeregoyy tasakirk'ə gə patsei yev nyut'ə gə grgnei Tasəngers əsav, vor panatseverə bedk' e ankir ənel, yev an jishd er K'nnut'ean orə shad g'anhanksdanayi, payts dasnut' miavor havak'etsi Mat'emadigaye knahadagans aveli tsadzr er, sagayn fizigayi k'nnut'ene gdruetsi Verahantsnumə abrilin e, yev ays ankam aveli shud bidi sgsimIn January the exams of the first semester began. The hardest was chemistry, and I prepared for the exam for two weeks. Every evening I opened the textbook and went over the material. A classmate said the formulas had to be learned by heart, and he was right. On the day of the exam I was very worried, but I scored eighteen points. In mathematics the grade was lower, but the physics exam I failed. The retake is in April, and this time I'll start earlier.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Which subject does the narrator find the hardest?
- What did the classmate advise?
- What happened with the physics exam?
- When is the retake?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Western Armenian?
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.