Arabic Reading Practice: Upper-Intermediate

Level: Upper-Intermediate. At this stage an Arabic text no longer just tells a story — it argues a case, weighing one side against another and ending with a view. This page gives one short, fully-vowelled opinion text about reading in the digital age and a method to follow its argument, not only its words.

By the end of this page you can…

…read a short upper-intermediate Arabic opinion text, follow its argument through connectors, tell the writer’s view from the facts they report, and answer comprehension and discussion questions about it.

How to read an upper-intermediate Arabic text

Do not translate word by word. Work in passes, each with its own goal:

1. First read — the claim. Read once without stopping. What is the writer arguing for or against?
2. Second read — the connectors. Mark the linking words لِذَلِكَ (lidhālika, therefore), مَعَ ذَلِكَ (maʿa dhālika, however), بِالإِضَافَةِ إِلَى (bi-l-iḍāfati ilā, in addition to); they carry the logic.
3. Third read — opinion vs fact. Separate what the writer reports from what they think: فِي رَأْيِي (fī raʾyī, in my opinion), أَعْتَقِدُ (aʿtaqidu, I think).
4. Word list, then answer. Only now check the glossed words below, then do the questions, returning to the text to confirm each answer.

The text: القِرَاءَة فِي العَصْرِ الرَّقْمِيّ (reading in the digital age)

يَقْضِي كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَقْتًا طَوِيلًا عَلَى هَوَاتِفِهِمْ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ. (yaqḍī kathīrun mina n-nāsi waqtan ṭawīlan ʿalā hawātifihim kulla yawmin.) — Many people spend a long time on their phones every day. لِذَلِكَ يَقْرَأُ بَعْضُهُمْ كُتُبًا أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذِي قَبْل. (lidhālika yaqraʾu baʿḍuhum kutuban aqalla min dhī qabl.) — Therefore some of them read fewer books than before. مَعَ ذَلِكَ، لَا تَزَالُ القِرَاءَةُ مُهِمَّةً جِدًّا لِلْعَقْلِ. (maʿa dhālika, lā tazālu l-qirāʾatu muhimmatan jiddan li-l-ʿaqli.) — However, reading is still very important for the mind. فِي رَأْيِي، الكِتَابُ الوَرَقِيُّ يُسَاعِدُ عَلَى التَّرْكِيزِ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الشَّاشَةِ. (fī raʾyī, al-kitābu l-waraqiyyu yusāʿidu ʿalā t-tarkīzi akthara mina sh-shāshati.) — In my opinion, a paper book helps concentration more than a screen. عَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، تُوَفِّرُ الكُتُبُ الإِلِكْترُونِيَّةُ رَاحَةً كَبِيرَةً لِلْمُسَافِرِينَ. (ʿalā r-raghmi min dhālika, tuwaffiru l-kutubu l-iliktrūniyyatu rāḥatan kabīratan li-l-musāfirīna.) — Despite that, e-books offer great convenience for travellers. بِالإِضَافَةِ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، يُمْكِنُ تَخْزِينُ آلَافِ الكُتُبِ فِي جِهَازٍ وَاحِدٍ. (bi-l-iḍāfati ilā dhālika, yumkinu takhzīnu ālāfi l-kutubi fī jihāzin wāḥidin.) — In addition, thousands of books can be stored on a single device. رُبَّمَا يَكُونُ الحَلُّ هُوَ الجَمْعَ بَيْنَ الطَّرِيقَتَيْنِ. (rubbamā yakūnu l-ḥallu huwa l-jamʿa bayna ṭ-ṭarīqatayni.) — Perhaps the solution is to combine the two methods. أَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّ المُهِمَّ هُوَ القِرَاءَةُ نَفْسُهَا، لَا وَسِيلَتُهَا. (aʿtaqidu anna l-muhimma huwa l-qirāʾatu nafsuhā, lā wasīlatuhā.) — I think what matters is reading itself, not its medium. لِذَلِكَ أَنْصَحُ بِقِرَاءَةِ أَيِّ كِتَابٍ تُحِبُّهُ. (lidhālika anṣaḥu bi-qirāʾati ayyi kitābin tuḥibbuhu.) — So I advise reading any book you love.

New words

Listen and repeat

Play each line, then say it aloud before you read on.

Comprehension practice

Quick recap before you answer.

Quiz

Discussion

Try answering in simple Arabic, reusing the text’s words: هَلْ تُفَضِّلُ الكِتَابَ الوَرَقِيَّ أَمِ الرَّقْمِيَّ؟ (hal tufaḍḍilu l-kitāba l-waraqiyya ami r-raqmiyya?) — Do you prefer paper or digital books? لِمَاذَا؟ (limādhā?) — Why? There is no single right answer; borrow القِرَاءَة (al-qirāʾa), التَّرْكِيز (at-tarkīz) and رُبَّمَا (rubbamā), and link your ideas with لِذَلِكَ (lidhālika) and مَعَ ذَلِكَ (maʿa dhālika).

Next

• Go back over the intermediate text: Arabic Reading Practice: Intermediate
• Build the grammar behind the text in the Arabic grammar section
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