The first marathon
A short in Ukrainian 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. I trained for half a year: at first I ran three kilometers at a time, then ten. The hardest part was not speed but…
Text
- Готувався я пів року: спершу бігав по три кілометри, потім по десять. Найважче було не швидкість, а витривалість. На старті нас було дві тисячі, до фінішу дійшли майже всі. Медалі дали кожному, і це правильно: перемога тут не над іншими, а над собою.I trained for half a year: at first I ran three kilometers at a time, then ten. The hardest part was not speed but endurance. There were two thousand of us at the start, and almost everyone reached the finish. Medals were given to everyone, and that is right: here the victory is not over others but over yourself.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How long did the narrator train?
- What was the hardest?
- How many were at the start?
- Who got medals?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Ukrainian?
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.