My own business
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. Two years ago I worked at a factory; then I quit and opened a small workshop. In the first months there was only one…
Text
- Екі жыл бұрын мен зауытта істедім; содан кейін жұмыстан шығып, кішкене шеберхана аштым. Алғашқы айларда бір ғана клиент болды, өндіріс аз еді, әр ай шығынға ұшырадық. Кейін жақсы жеткізуші таптым, материалды арзанға алдым және бағаны қайта есептедім. Қазір үш адамды жұмысқа алдым, айына бір рет презентация жасаймын, дүкен кішкентай болса да пайда әкеледі. Ең қиыны ақша емес, төзімділік болды: сұраныс бір жылда қалыптасты, бір күнде емес.Two years ago I worked at a factory; then I quit and opened a small workshop. In the first months there was only one client, production was small, and every month we ran at a loss. Then I found a good supplier, began buying material cheaper and recalculated the prices. Now I have hired three people, once a month I give a presentation, and the shop, small as it is, brings profit. The hardest thing was not money but endurance: demand took a year to form, not a day.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where did he work two years ago?
- What was it like in the first months?
- What helped cut the costs?
- What does he call the hardest thing?
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.