LingoflyThe delayed train
A text in Uzbek 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. Once I was waiting at the station for a train running forty minutes late. Just at that moment an elderly woman came up…
Text
- Bir paytlar men vokzalda qirq daqiqalik kechikayotgan poyezdni kutib turganman. Aynan shu paytda qariya yonimga kelib, boshqa peron qayerdaligini soʻradi. Men peronlar oʻtgan hafta raqamlanganini tushuntirdim. U deyarli poyezddan qolardi, shuning uchun shoshilib zinapoyadan yuqoriga chiqdik. Oxirida u rahmat aytdi va kelib turishni iltimos qildi. Oʻsha lahza hozir koʻzim oldida.Once I was waiting at the station for a train running forty minutes late. Just at that moment an elderly woman came up to me and asked where the other platform was. I explained that the platforms had been renumbered last week. She nearly missed her train, so we hurried up the stairs. In the end she thanked me and asked me to come and see her. That moment is before my eyes as if it were now.
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 the elderly woman ask?
- Why did she not find the platform?
- How did they get up to the platform?
- What did she ask for in the end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Uzbek?
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.