Making a decision
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 offered a job in another city, and making the decision was not easy. The salary is twice as high, but the…
Text
- Маған басқа қаладан жұмыс ұсынды, және шешім қабылдау оңай болмады. Жалақысы екі есе жоғары, бірақ балалар мектепті ауыстыруы керек еді. Артықшылығы да, кемшілігі де көп болды, сондықтан бәрін бір параққа жазып шықтым. Досым: сенің орныңда болсам, келісер едім, деді. Апам, әйтпесе өкінесің, деді. Ақыры бір жыл пәтер жалдау шартымен көшуді таңдадық: егер ұнамаса, қайтып ораламыз. Шынымды айтсам, бірінші реттен дұрыс шешім шығару қиын, бірақ сақтық үшін қайтар жолды ашық қалдырған жөн.I was offered a job in another city, and making the decision was not easy. The salary is twice as high, but the children would have to change schools. There were many advantages and many disadvantages, so I wrote everything out on one sheet. A friend said: in your place I would agree. My sister said: otherwise you will regret it. In the end we chose moving on the condition of renting a flat for a year: if we do not like it, we will come back. To tell the truth, making the right decision the first time is hard, but it is better to leave the road back open, just in case.
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 was the decision not easy?
- What did he do to sort things out?
- On what condition did they choose to move?
- What conclusion does the narrator draw?
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.