From the warm-up to the finish line
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. A year ago I hardly did any sport, and after three minutes of running it was hard for me to breathe. I started going to…
Text
- Rok temu prawie nie uprawiałem sportu i po trzech minutach biegu trudno mi było oddychać. Zacząłem chodzić na siłownię: najpierw tylko rozgrzewka i lekkie przyrządy. Po trzech miesiącach biegałem dziesięć kilometrów bez przerwy. W listopadzie zapisałem się na maraton, choć po zimie noga jeszcze mnie bolała. Na linii startu stało trzy tysiące biegaczy i tłum głośnych kibiców. Do mety dotarłem po czterech godzinach, bez medalu, ale z własnym rekordem.A year ago I hardly did any sport, and after three minutes of running it was hard for me to breathe. I started going to the gym: at first only a warm-up and light machines. After three months I ran ten kilometres without a break. In November I enrolled on a marathon, although after the winter my leg still hurt. At the starting line stood three thousand runners and a crowd of loud fans. I reached the finish in four hours, without a medal, but with a personal record.
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 did he start with?
- What was wrong with him after the winter?
- How many runners were at the start?
- How did the marathon end for him?
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.