A month without cigarettes
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. I started smoking back at school and for a long time did not consider it a bad habit. Last year the doctor after an…
Text
- Курить я начал ещё в школе и долго не считал это вредной привычкой. В прошлом году врач после осмотра сказал прямо: либо сигареты, либо здоровье. Первую неделю без сигарет я плохо спал и с трудом вставал на работу. Помогло простое правило: вместо сигареты — стакан воды и короткая прогулка. Через месяц дышать стало легче, и сон вернулся сам. Теперь я слежу за здоровьем: хожу пешком и больше не курю.Kurit ya nachal eshchyo v shkole i dolgo ne schital eto vrednoy privychkoy. V proshlom godu vrach posle osmotra skazal pryamo: libo sigarety, libo zdorove. Pervuyu nedelyu bez sigaret ya plokho spal i s trudom vstaval na rabotu. Pomoglo prostoe pravilo: vmesto sigarety — stakan vody i korotkaya progulka. Cherez mesyats dyshat stalo legche, i son vernulsya sam. Teper ya slezhu za zdorovem: khozhu peshkom i bolshe ne kuryu.I started smoking back at school and for a long time did not consider it a bad habit. Last year the doctor after an examination said directly: either the cigarettes or your health. The first week without cigarettes I slept badly and could barely get up for work. A simple rule helped: instead of a cigarette — a glass of water and a short walk. After a month breathing became easier, and sleep came back on its own. Now I watch my health: I walk and no longer smoke.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- When did he start smoking?
- What did the doctor say?
- What helped in the first week?
- How does he live now?
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.