The book exchange
CEFR A2136 words
Desde septiembre voy a un intercambio de libros una vez al mes. Para llevarse un libro, cada persona deja otro en buen estado. El mes pasado llevé una novela que leí en verano. Tenía una página suelta, pero pensé que alguien podía pegarla.
En el intercambio, la organizadora me enseñó las normas y dijo: «Primero tienes que arreglar la página». No había pegamento allí. Mi amigo Hugo tenía dos libros en buen estado. Dejó uno para él y me ofreció el otro. Con ese libro pude participar.
Esta mañana pegué la página de mi novela y comprobé las demás. La próxima reunión es el sábado. Hugo quiere conocer el final de la novela. Voy a prestársela. Hugo va a leer la novela completa y luego me la va a devolver. Después voy a llevarla al intercambio.
Words you may not know
- sueltaloose; detached
- pegamentoglue
- prestárselalend it to him; here the novel
- devolverreturn; give back
Questions
You answer them with the text in front of you. It isn't memory: it's understanding.
Why could the narrator participate last month despite the damaged novel?
Hugo supplied a book that met the exchange condition — Participation requires leaving a sound book. The novel was not ready and there was no glue, but Hugo brought two sound books and offered one. The organiser did not repair or accept the damaged novel.
Hugo brings as many sound books as last month, and the narrator brings the repaired novel. They keep one of these books as a gift rather than leaving it at the exchange. Under the rule in the text, how many books could they take away?
Two books — Hugo brought two sound books last month. Adding the repaired novel gives three sound books; keeping one as a gift leaves two to exchange. The rule requires a sound book for each book taken, so they can take two. One overlooks the narrator’s repaired novel; three includes the book kept as a gift; zero treats the repaired novel and Hugo’s sound books as unusable.
Hugo returns the repaired novel before Saturday, but a page comes loose again on the journey. No repair is possible at the meeting. Could the narrator exchange that novel under last month’s rule?
No, because its current condition fails the rule — The narrator repaired the page, but the new damage again leaves the novel outside the rule requiring a book in good condition. Finishing the loan does not repair that damage. The earlier repair no longer describes its current condition; previously reading a novel is not prohibited.
At last month’s exchange, Hugo leaves one book for himself and another for the narrator. How many of the sound books he brought remain for a third participant?
None of his books — Hugo brought two sound books. Leaving one for himself and one for the narrator uses both, so none of those books remains for a third participant.
Suppose Hugo’s spare book has a loose page too, but his own book is sound. With no repair possible there, who could participate using the books they brought?
Hugo alone — Each participant must leave a sound book. Hugo can leave his own sound book, but the damaged spare and narrator’s damaged novel do not supply an acceptable book for the narrator.
Hugo needs two full days to read the borrowed novel and returns it immediately afterwards. To have it back before the day of the next meeting, what is the latest day he can start?
Wednesday — The next exchange is Saturday. The hypothetical two-day reading and immediate return mean that starting Wednesday gives a Friday return, before the meeting day. Thursday gives Saturday, not before that day; Friday and Saturday give later returns.