An evening at the theater
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. For my birthday I was given a subscription to five plays. The first was a comedy based on a novel I had read at school.…
Text
- На день рождения мне подарили абонемент на пять спектаклей. Первым была комедия по роману, который я читала в школе. Главную роль играл известный артист, но сильнее всех меня впечатлила молодая актриса. Режиссёр перенёс сюжет в наше время, а сцена была почти пустой. В конце аплодисменты были такими долгими, что артисты вышли три раза. Теперь я понимаю, почему искусство в этом городе так любят.Na den rozhdeniya mne podarili abonement na pyat spektakley. Pervym byla komediya po romanu, kotoryy ya chitala v shkole. Glavnuyu rol igral izvestnyy artist, no silnee vsekh menya vpechatlila molodaya aktrisa. Rezhissyor perenyos syuzhet v nashe vremya, a stsena byla pochti pustoy. V kontse aplodismenty byli takimi dolgimi, chto artisty vyshli tri raza. Teper ya ponimayu, pochemu iskusstvo v etom gorode tak lyubyat.For my birthday I was given a subscription to five plays. The first was a comedy based on a novel I had read at school. The lead role was played by a famous actor, but the young actress impressed me more than anyone. The director moved the plot to our time, and the stage was almost empty. At the end the applause was so long that the actors came out three times. Now I understand why art is so loved in this city.
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 she given?
- Who impressed her most of all?
- What did the director do with the plot?
- How many times did the actors come out?
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.