LingoflyThe neighbor who keeps his word
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. Our neighbor is reserved; he does not talk much. At first we thought he was vain, but he is simply shy. When the pipe…
Text
- Qoʻshnimiz oʻziga yopiq, koʻp gapirmaydi. Avval uni magʻrur deb oʻylardik, lekin u shunchaki uyatchan ekan. Qishda quvur yorilganda, u ertalab beshda yordamga tayyor boʻldi. U hech qachon maqtanmagan va olqish kutmagan. Uy egalari avval uning ortidan gapirishgan, endi uni soʻzda turuvchi odam deb bilishadi. Kelishib oldik va endi teng sifatida gaplashamiz.Our neighbor is reserved; he does not talk much. At first we thought he was vain, but he is simply shy. When the pipe burst in winter, he was on hand at five in the morning. He never boasted and never expected praise. The flat owners used to gossip about him; now they know him as a man who keeps his word. We got along, and now we talk as equals.
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 neighbor seem like at first?
- What did he turn out to be really?
- What did he do when the pipe burst?
- What do they say about him now?
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.