Across the meadow straight
A text in Polish at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. With my brother we went to the mountains by the old road through the forest. At the fork we wanted to go straight…
Text
- Z bratem poszliśmy w góry starą drogą przez las. Na rozwidleniu chcieliśmy iść na skróty przez łąkę, bo tak bliżej. Po pół godzinie zabłądziliśmy, bo zapomnieliśmy o jedynym punkcie orientacyjnym. W oddali widać było wieżę kościoła, więc poszliśmy w jej stronę. Droga schodziła w dół do ciasnej doliny i kończyła się ślepą uliczką. Wróciliśmy inną drogą, obok domów, i do domu dotarliśmy dopiero wieczorem.With my brother we went to the mountains by the old road through the forest. At the fork we wanted to go straight across the meadow, because it is shorter. In half an hour we got lost, because we forgot about the only landmark. In the distance the church tower could be seen, so we went towards it. The road descended into a narrow valley and ended in a dead end. Back we took another road, past the houses, and reached home only in the evening.
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 they go across the meadow?
- Why did they get lost?
- What could be seen in the distance?
- How did the road in the valley end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Polish?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
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.