Un projecte acabat
A short in Valencian 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. The bench in grandpa's garden was a heap of iron: broken wood, rusty tools and a project nobody dared take on. In March…
Text
- El banc del jardí de l'avi era una ferralla: fusta trencada, ferramentes rovellades i un projecte que ningú no s'atrevia a encetar. El març passat, finalment, vam posar mans a l'obra: primer vam eliminar el rovell, després vam renovar la fusta una peça a una. El treball s'ha allargat més del compte: la pluja ha aturat l'obra dues setmanes, i el vernís demana calma. Però ahir, cap al final de la vesprada, hem acabat de polir l'últim tauló: el banc es queda sencer, ferm i com nou. L'avi s'ha assegut a tocar del gerro de geranis i ha dit que aquest és el seu millor assoliment de l'any.The bench in grandpa's garden was a heap of iron: broken wood, rusty tools and a project nobody dared take on. In March we finally set to work: first we removed the rust, then renewed the wood board by board. The work dragged on beyond measure: rain stopped the business for two weeks, and varnish demands calm. But yesterday, toward the end of the day, we sanded the last board: the bench remained whole, solid and like new. Grandpa sat next to the pot of geranium and said it was his best achievement of the year.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- In what state was the bench at first?
- What did they start the work with?
- What delayed the repair?
- What did grandpa call the best achievement of the year?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Valencian?
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.