LingoflyHow I came to love science
A text in Ukrainian 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. At school chemistry seemed boring: formulas, numbers, no meaning at all. Then the teacher brought a microscope and…
Text
- У школі хімія здавалася нудною: формули, цифри, ніякого сенсу. Потім учитель приніс мікроскоп і показав краплю води зблизька. Виявилося, що там ціле життя. Відтоді я почав читати про дослідження й винаходи. Наука — це не формули, а спосіб дивитися.U shkoli khimiia zdavalasia nudnoiu: formuly, tsyfry, niiakoho sensu. Potim uchytel prynis mikroskop i pokazav krapliu vody zblyzka. Vyiavylosia, shcho tam tsile zhyttia. Vidtodi ya pochav chytaty pro doslidzhennia y vynakhody. Nauka — tse ne formuly, a sposib dyvytysia.At school chemistry seemed boring: formulas, numbers, no meaning at all. Then the teacher brought a microscope and showed a drop of water up close. It turned out a whole life lived there. Since then I have read about research and inventions. Science is not formulas but a way of looking.
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 did chemistry seem like at school?
- What did the teacher bring?
- What was in the drop of water?
- What did science become for the narrator?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Ukrainian?
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.