The village has changed
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. I was born in this village, and over the last decade everything here has changed. Since time immemorial people have…
Text
- Мен бұл ауылда туғанмын, ал соңғы он жылдықта мұнда бәрі өзгерді. Ежелден бері адамдар мал баққан, ал бүгінгі таңда жастар қалаға кетіп жатыр. Мектеп ескірді, оның орнына заманауи ғимарат тұрғызылды. Ата-бабамыздың үйі әлі тұр, бірақ жанындағы ескі дүкен қирандыға айналған. Кей-кейде мен де кетемін бе деп ойлаймын, бірақ көндіге алмаймын. Түптеп келгенде, адам бір жерге бейімделеді де, сол жерде қалады.I was born in this village, and over the last decade everything here has changed. Since time immemorial people have raised cattle, and these days the young are leaving for the city. The school grew outdated, and a modern building was erected in its place. The house of our ancestors still stands, but the old shop next to it has turned into ruins. Now and then I too think whether I should leave, but I cannot bring myself to it. In the end a person adapts to one place and stays there.
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 is happening to the young people?
- What happened to the school?
- What has the old shop turned into?
- What conclusion does the narrator come to?
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.