Five hundred kilometers south
A short text in Russian at level A2. 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. First we rented a car and checked the spare wheel. The tank was full, and the car insurance was already included in the…
Text
- Сначала мы взяли машину напрокат и проверили запасное колесо. Бак был полный, и страховка на машину уже была включена в цену. За городом ограничение скорости девяносто, и дорожные знаки стояли перед каждым поворотом. В маленьком городке мы попали на одностороннее движение и объехали центр с другой стороны. Несмотря на пробку у моста, до моря мы доехали вовремя.Snachala my vzyali mashinu naprokat i proverili zapasnoe koleso. Bak byl polnyy, i strakhovka na mashinu uzhe byla vklyuchena v tsenu. Za gorodom ogranichenie skorosti devyanosto, i dorozhnye znaki stoyali pered kazhdym povorotom. V malenkom gorodke my popali na odnostoronnee dvizhenie i obekhali tsentr s drugoy storony. Nesmotrya na probku u mosta, do morya my doekhali vovremya.First we rented a car and checked the spare wheel. The tank was full, and the car insurance was already included in the price. Outside town the speed limit is ninety, and road signs stood before every turn. In a small town we ran into one-way traffic and went around the center from the other side. Despite a traffic jam by the bridge, we reached the sea on time.
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 they check first?
- What was the speed limit outside town?
- What happened in the small town?
- How did they reach the sea?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Russian?
A2. 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.