The price of water
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. In our region summers are dry, and the water resource is not endless. Upstream on the river there is a factory, and it…
Text
- Біздің аймақта жаз қуаң болып келеді, ал су ресурсы шексіз емес. Өзеннің жоғарғы жағында зауыт бар, ол ағынды суды жеткілікті тазартпайды. Былтыр суда зиянды қоспалар табылды, сондықтан ауызсуды сатып алуға тура келді. Тұрғындар шағым жазды, енді қалдықты төгуге тыйым салынды. Мұздықтардың еруі де әсер етеді: жазда су көп келеді, ал күзде мүлде азаяды. Қоршаған ортаны қорғау бізден алыс емес, ол дәл ауламызда басталады.In our region summers are dry, and the water resource is not endless. Upstream on the river there is a factory, and it does not treat its wastewater well enough. Last year harmful impurities were found in the water, so drinking water had to be bought. The residents wrote a complaint, and now dumping waste is forbidden. The melting of the glaciers has an effect too: much water comes in summer, and in autumn it dwindles entirely. Protecting the environment is not far from us; it starts right in our own yard.
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 are summers like in the region?
- What was found in the water last year?
- What did the residents do?
- How does the melting of the glaciers affect the water?
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.