LingoflyThe order of one day
A text in Serbian 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. First I get up, make coffee and only then look at my phone. While the coffee cools, I plan what I must finish by noon.…
Text
- Прво устанем, скувам кафу и тек затим погледам телефон. Док кафа хлади, испланирам шта морам да завршим до подне. После тога радим два сата без прекида, а онда правим паузу од петнаест минута. Раније сам све остављао за последњи час, па сам вечно каснио са роковима. Откако сам почео да радим овим редом, најзад стижем све на време, иако радим исто толико сати.Prvo ustanem, skuvam kafu i tek zatim pogledam telefon. Dok kafa hladi, isplaniram šta moram da završim do podne. Posle toga radim dva sata bez prekida, a onda pravim pauzu od petnaest minuta. Ranije sam sve ostavljao za poslednji čas, pa sam večno kasnio sa rokovima. Otkako sam počeo da radim ovim redom, najzad stižem sve na vreme, iako radim isto toliko sati.First I get up, make coffee and only then look at my phone. While the coffee cools, I plan what I must finish by noon. After that I work two hours without a break, and then I pause for fifteen minutes. I used to leave everything to the last moment and was forever missing deadlines. Since I started working in this order, I finally get everything done on time, though I work the same hours.
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 narrator put off until the coffee is made?
- When does he plan his tasks?
- What was it like before?
- What changed after he changed the order?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Serbian?
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.