By train to Turkestan
A short in Kazakh 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. Last month I went to Turkestan by train, because the ticket is half the price of a plane ticket. I checked the…
Text
- Өткен айда Түркістанға пойызбен бардым, себебі билет ұшақтан екі есе арзан. Кестені интернеттен қарадым да, барып-қайтатын билет алдым. Вокзалға ерте келдім, бірақ платформаны бірден таппадым және аз жерден пойызға кешігіп қала жаздадым. Вагонда терезе жанындағы орын тиді, сондықтан бүкіл дала көрініп тұрды. Жол он екі сағат болды, ал келу уақыты кестедегіден жарты сағат кеш еді.Last month I went to Turkestan by train, because the ticket is half the price of a plane ticket. I checked the timetable online and took a round-trip ticket. I arrived at the station early, but did not find the platform right away and nearly missed the train. In the carriage I got a seat by the window, so the whole steppe was in view. The journey took twelve hours, and the arrival was half an hour behind the timetable.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did the narrator choose the train?
- What happened at the station?
- Which seat did he get?
- How late was the train?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Kazakh?
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.