The river under the factory
A text in Urdu 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. The factory’s waste water ran into the river for years. The fish grew fewer, and harmful impurities began to be found…
Text
- کارخانے کا گندا پانی سالوں تک دریا میں جاتا رہا۔ مچھلیاں کم ہو گئیں اور پانی میں نقصان دہ مادے ملنے لگے۔ لوگوں نے شکایت کی، اور کارخانے نے پانی صاف کرنا شروع کیا۔ دس برس میں دریا دوبارہ صاف ہو گیا، مگر ہر مچھلی واپس نہیں آئی۔ آج یہ جگہ قومی پارک ہے، اور لوگ وہاں کوڑا نہیں پھینکتے۔karkhane ka ganda pani salon tak darya main dzhata reha. machhlian kam ho gain aur pani main naqsan de made milne lage. logon ne shikaiat ki, aur karkhane ne pani saaf karna shuru kiya. das bars main darya dobara saaf ho gaya, magar har machhli wapas nahin ai. adzh ye dzhaga qaumi park hai, aur log wahan kora nahin phinkte.The factory’s waste water ran into the river for years. The fish grew fewer, and harmful impurities began to be found in the water. People complained, and the factory began to clean the water. In ten years the river became clean again, but not every fish returned. Today this place is a reserve, and people do not litter there.
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 ran into the river for years?
- What was found in the water?
- What did the factory do after the complaints?
- What has this place become today?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Urdu?
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.