The neighbor from the third floor
A short in Serbian text 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. The neighbor from the third floor is gray-haired, bald and always in the same gray sweater. He has thick eyebrows and…
Text
- Комшија с трећег спрата је сед, ћелав и увек у истом сивом џемперу. Има густе обрве и дубоке боре око очију, али изгледа млађе него што јесте. Врло је вредан: у шест ујутру већ мете двориште, а нико га за то није молио. Помало је тврдоглав и не воли да му се помаже, зато га пуштамо да ради сам. Кад неко има проблем, он ћути и не даје савете, али донесе алат и поправи што треба.Komšija s trećeg sprata je sed, ćelav i uvek u istom sivom džemperu. Ima guste obrve i duboke bore oko očiju, ali izgleda mlađe nego što jeste. Vrlo je vredan: u šest ujutru već mete dvorište, a niko ga za to nije molio. Pomalo je tvrdoglav i ne voli da mu se pomaže, zato ga puštamo da radi sam. Kad neko ima problem, on ćuti i ne daje savete, ali donese alat i popravi što treba.The neighbor from the third floor is gray-haired, bald and always in the same gray sweater. He has thick eyebrows and deep wrinkles around his eyes, but he looks younger than he is. He is very hardworking: at six in the morning he is already sweeping the yard, though nobody asked him to. He is a bit stubborn and doesn't like being helped, so we let him work alone. When someone has a problem, he says nothing and gives no advice, but brings his tools and fixes whatever is needed.
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 does the neighbor look like?
- What does he do at six in the morning?
- Why is he left to work alone?
- How does he help when someone has a problem?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Serbian?
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.