The old cupboard
A short in Kazakh text at level B1. 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. The cupboard left from grandfather stands in the corner of the room: the shape is simple, the surface is smooth, the…
Text
- Атамнан қалған шкаф бөлменің бұрышында тұр: пішіні қарапайым, беті тегіс, бояуының түсі оңған. Есігінің бір жері мыжылған, ал тұтқасы тат басқан, бірақ ағашы әлі бүтін. Ішінде не бары ешкімге белгісіз еді: ашып қарасақ, ішіндегісі кітап пен ескі құжат екен. Әкем оны тастағысы келді, өйткені бөлмеде бекер орын алып тұр деді. Мен қарсы болдым: жаңа шкафтың жабыны жылтыр болғанымен, ағашы жұқа әрі сынғыш. Ақыры шештік: үстін тазалап, жаңа қабат бояу жағамыз да, сол орнында қалдырамыз.The cupboard left from grandfather stands in the corner of the room: the shape is simple, the surface is smooth, the paint has faded. One spot of the door is dented, and the handle is rusty, but the wood is still whole. What was inside nobody knew: we opened it, and the contents turned out to be books and old documents. Father wanted to throw it out, saying it takes up space in the room for nothing. I was against it: the new cupboard's coating may be glossy, but its wood is thin and fragile. In the end we decided: we will clean the top, apply a new coat of paint and keep it in its place.
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 the cupboard's paint?
- What turned out to be inside?
- Why did the father want to throw it out?
- What did they decide to do in the end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Kazakh?
B1. 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.