A fellow traveler at the station
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. Once I was waiting at the station for a train that was running forty minutes late. Just then an elderly lady came up to…
Text
- Как-то раз я ждал на вокзале поезд, который опаздывал на сорок минут. Как раз тогда ко мне подошла пожилая дама и спросила, где вторая платформа. Я объяснил ей, что платформы на прошлой неделе перенумеровали. Она чуть не опоздала, и мы вдвоём побежали по лестнице — успели в последний миг. Она поблагодарила меня и позвала в гости. Как сейчас вижу её лицо у окна, хотя всё случилось за считаные минуты.Kak-to raz ya zhdal na vokzale poezd, kotoryy opazdyval na sorok minut. Kak raz togda ko mne podoshla pozhilaya dama i sprosila, gde vtoraya platforma. Ya obyasnil ey, chto platformy na proshloy nedele perenumerovali. Ona chut ne opozdala, i my vdvoyom pobezhali po lestnitse — uspeli v posledniy mig. Ona poblagodarila menya i pozvala v gosti. Kak seychas vizhu eyo litso u okna, khotya vsyo sluchilos za schitanye minuty.Once I was waiting at the station for a train that was running forty minutes late. Just then an elderly lady came up to me and asked where platform two was. I explained to her that the platforms had been renumbered the week before. She almost missed it, and the two of us ran up the stairs — we made it at the last moment. She thanked me and invited me to visit. I can still see her face by the window as if it were now, though it all happened in a matter of minutes.
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 the lady ask?
- Why didn't she find the platform?
- What did they do to make it in time?
- What did the lady do at parting?
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.