One's own business from zero
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. Two years ago I left the factory and became an entrepreneur. I found my first clients through friends, and I looked for…
Text
- Два года назад я ушёл с завода и стал предпринимателем. Первых клиентов я нашёл через друзей, а поставщика искал три месяца. Первый год был с убытком: я вложил деньги в оборудование для мастерской. Самый большой конкурент снизил цены, и спрос на время упал. Потом я нанял плотника и начал работать ещё и на интернет-магазин. В этом году прибыль выросла, и семье теперь хватает.Dva goda nazad ya ushyol s zavoda i stal predprinimatelem. Pervykh klientov ya nashyol cherez druzey, a postavshchika iskal tri mesyatsa. Pervyy god byl s ubytkom: ya vlozhil dengi v oborudovanie dlya masterskoy. Samyy bolshoy konkurent snizil tseny, i spros na vremya upal. Potom ya nanyal plotnika i nachal rabotat eshchyo i na internet-magazin. V etom godu pribyl vyrosla, i seme teper khvataet.Two years ago I left the factory and became an entrepreneur. I found my first clients through friends, and I looked for a supplier for three months. The first year ran at a loss: I put money into equipment for the workshop. My biggest competitor lowered prices, and demand fell for a time. Then I hired a carpenter and began working for an online store as well. This year the profit has grown, and now there is enough for the family.
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 was he before?
- Why was the first year at a loss?
- What did the competitor do?
- What changed this year?
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.