The stone path
A short in Turkish 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. The path behind the village goes through the forest and descends to the lake. Those going for the first time usually…
Text
- Köyün arkasındaki patika ormanın içinden geçiyor ve göle iniyor. İlk kez gidenler genelde kayboluyor, çünkü yol bir yerde ikiye ayrılıyor ve sağdaki çıkmaz. Bize referans noktası olarak büyük bir taşı gösterdiler: taşın yanından geçip sola sapıyorsun. Kestirmeden gitmek mümkün ama tarla çok çamurlu; biz uzun yolu seçtik ve kimse geride kalmadı. Gölün kenarında ferah bir alan var; oradan köyün dış hatları uzaktan görünüyor.The path behind the village goes through the forest and descends to the lake. Those going for the first time usually wander, because the road forks somewhere, and the right one is a dead end. They showed us a big rock as a landmark: you pass the rock and turn left. You can take the shortcut, but the field is very muddy; we chose the long way, and no one fell behind. At the edge of the lake there's a spacious spot; from there the outlines of the village are visible in the distance.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where does the path lead?
- What serves as a landmark?
- Why didn't they take the shortcut?
- What is visible from the spot by the lake?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Turkish?
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.