The renovation that dragged
A text in Russian 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. We planned the kitchen renovation for two weeks, but it dragged on for two months. First there was a glitch with the…
Text
- Ремонт кухни мы планировали на две недели, а он тянулся два месяца. Сначала был сбой с доставкой краски, и дело встало. Мастер оттягивал с ответом, и мы боялись полного провала. Когда краска приехала, выяснилось, что половина банок с трещинами. Недостаток устранили за три дня и дальше работали упорно. Теперь кухня сделана как следует, и мы гордимся ею больше, чем если бы всё прошло гладко.Remont kukhni my planirovali na dve nedeli, a on tyanulsya dva mesyatsa. Snachala byl sboy s dostavkoy kraski, i delo vstalo. Master ottyagival s otvetom, i my boyalis polnogo provala. Kogda kraska priekhala, vyyasnilos, chto polovina banok s treshchinami. Nedostatok ustranili za tri dnya i dalshe rabotali uporno. Teper kukhnya sdelana kak sleduet, i my gordimsya eyu bolshe, chem esli by vsyo proshlo gladko.We planned the kitchen renovation for two weeks, but it dragged on for two months. First there was a glitch with the paint delivery, and the job stalled. The worker put off answering, and we feared a complete failure. When the paint arrived, it turned out half of the cans had cracks. The defect was fixed in three days, and after that we worked hard. Now the kitchen is done properly, and we are prouder of it than if everything had gone smoothly.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How long did the renovation drag on?
- Why did the job stall at the start?
- What turned out when the paint arrived?
- How did it all end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Russian?
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.