The first music lesson
A short text in Russian at level A1. 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. Today I had my first music lesson. The teacher showed where the notes are on the piano and played a melody of three…
Text
- Сегодня у меня первый урок музыки. Учительница показала, где у пианино ноты, и сыграла мелодию из трёх звуков. Сначала у меня не выходило, но к концу урока мелодия получилась. Дома сестра услышала её из кухни и улыбнулась. Теперь я хочу выучить любимую песню до самого припева.Segodnya u menya pervyy urok muzyki. Uchitelnitsa pokazala, gde u pianino noty, i sygrala melodiyu iz tryokh zvukov. Snachala u menya ne vykhodilo, no k kontsu uroka melodiya poluchilas. Doma sestra uslyshala eyo iz kukhni i ulybnulas. Teper ya khochu vyuchit lyubimuyu pesnyu do samogo pripeva.Today I had my first music lesson. The teacher showed where the notes are on the piano and played a melody of three sounds. At first it didn't come off for me, but by the end of the lesson the melody worked. At home my sister heard it from the kitchen and smiled. Now I want to learn my favorite song up to the very chorus.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Which lesson was first?
- What did the teacher play?
- Who heard the melody at home?
- What does he want to learn now?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Russian?
A1. 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.