From zero to the end
A short in Serbian text at level B1. 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. When the old program failed, we had to do everything from scratch. The first attempt was a miss: we took on the work…
Text
- Кад је стари програм отказао, морали смо све да радимо од нуле. Први покушај је био промашај: латили смо се посла без плана и запетљали се већ трећег дана. Онда смо обуставили рад на недељу дана и темељно промислили сваки корак. Друго кретање је ишло другачије: свако је знао шта ради, а препреке смо отклањали чим би се појавиле. Посао се одужио за месец дана, али смо га довели до краја, и нико није дигао руке.Kad je stari program otkazao, morali smo sve da radimo od nule. Prvi pokušaj je bio promašaj: latili smo se posla bez plana i zapetljali se već trećeg dana. Onda smo obustavili rad na nedelju dana i temeljno promislili svaki korak. Drugo kretanje je išlo drugačije: svako je znao šta radi, a prepreke smo otklanjali čim bi se pojavile. Posao se odužio za mesec dana, ali smo ga doveli do kraja, i niko nije digao ruke.When the old program failed, we had to do everything from scratch. The first attempt was a miss: we took on the work without a plan and got tangled up by the third day. Then we stopped for a week and thought through every step thoroughly. The second go-round went differently: everyone knew what they were doing, and we removed obstacles as soon as they appeared. The work stretched over a month, but we brought it to completion, and nobody gave up on it.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did they have to start from scratch?
- What was wrong with the first attempt?
- What did they do after the first attempt failed?
- How did it all end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Serbian?
B1. 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.