I started my own business
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. Two years ago I worked at a factory; then I quit and opened a small workshop. In the first months I had one client…
Text
- İki yıl önce fabrikada çalışıyordum; sonra işten çıktım ve küçük bir atölye açtım. İlk aylarda tek müşterim vardı, üretim azdı ve her ay zarar ettim. Bir tedarikçi buldum, malzemeyi ucuza aldım ve fiyatları yeniden hesapladım. Şimdi üç kişiyi işe aldım, ayda bir sunum yapıyorum ve dükkân küçük de olsa kâr ediyor. En zor kısmı para değil, sabırdı: talep bir yılda oluştu, bir günde değil.Two years ago I worked at a factory; then I quit and opened a small workshop. In the first months I had one client, production was small, and every month I operated at a loss. I found a supplier, started buying material cheaper, and recalculated the prices. Now I've hired three people, I give a presentation once a month, and the shop, small as it is, makes a profit. The hardest part wasn't money but patience: demand took a year to build, not a day.
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 did he work two years ago?
- What was it like in the first months?
- What did he do after finding a supplier?
- What turned out to be the hardest?
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.