Sempre connectat
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. Enric is one of those people who never disconnect: while the phone alarm is still ringing, he is already in the browser…
Text
- L'Enric és del tipus de persona que mai desconnecta: quan encara sona l'alarma del telèfon, ell ja és al navegador mirant les notícies. Amb els auriculars sense fil escolta música mentre corre, i a mig matí fa una videotrucada amb la seva parella, que treballa en una altra ciutat. Al migdia, entre pestanya i pestanya, espera una descàrrega que triga massa: la velocitat d'internet de l'oficina és una tragèdia coneguda per tothom. Al vespre, quan el banc demana el codi SMS per iniciar la sessió, sospira: una altra contrasenya oblidada, un altre codi que caduca en cinc minuts. Abans de dormir posa el telèfon a carregar a la cuina, lluny del llit, i promet que demà viurà menys connectat. Fa tres anys que ho promet cada nit, i el seu blog, curiosament, es titula «Sempre connectat».Enric is one of those people who never disconnect: while the phone alarm is still ringing, he is already in the browser reading the news. In wireless earbuds he listens to music while running, and in the middle of the morning he makes a video call to his partner, who works in another city. At noon, between one tab and another, he waits for a download that drags too long: the internet speed at the office is a tragedy known to all. In the evening, when the bank asks for the SMS code to log into the account, he sighs: another forgotten password, another code that expires in five minutes. Before sleep he puts the phone on charge in the kitchen, away from the bed, and promises that tomorrow he will live less on the net. For three years he has promised it every night, and his blog, characteristically, is called "Sempre connectat" — "Always connected".
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 does Enric do while the alarm is still ringing?
- With whom does Enric make a video call in the middle of the morning?
- What happens at the office at noon?
- What does Enric promise every night for three years?
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.