Salma sends a school competition entry in a hurry and discovers that an old draft leaves out essential details—and her friend’s name. Can they correct the entry before Friday?
01Read the Arabic story
مُشَارَكَةٌ أُرْسِلَتْ قَبْلَ أَوَانِهَا
أَعْلَنَتِ الْمَدْرَسَةُ عَنْ مُسَابَقَةٍ لِأَفْكَارٍ تَجْعَلُ الْحَيَاةَ فِيهَا أَفْضَلَ. اِقْتَرَحَتْ سَلْمَى وَصَدِيقَتُهَا نُورٌ وَضْعَ صَنَادِيقَ لِجَمْعِ الْوَرَقِ الْمُسْتَعْمَلِ فِي الْفُصُولِ. بَحَثَتْ نُورٌ عَنْ أَسْعَارِ الصَّنَادِيقِ، بَيْنَمَا كَتَبَتْ سَلْمَى شَرْحَ الْفِكْرَةِ. وَكَانَتَا تَأْمُلَانِ أَنْ تُقَلِّلَ الْفِكْرَةُ كَمِّيَّةَ الْوَرَقِ الَّذِي يُرْمَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ. كَانَ آخِرُ مَوْعِدٍ لِإِرْسَالِ الْمُشَارَكَاتِ مَسَاءَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَاتَّفَقَتَا عَلَى مُرَاجَعَةِ الْمَلَفِّ مَعًا قَبْلَ إِرْسَالِهِ.
يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ، فَتَحَتْ سَلْمَى الْمَلَفَّ قَبْلَ مُغَادَرَةِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ. سَمِعَتْ صَوْتَ الْحَافِلَةِ، فَخَافَتْ أَنْ تَفُوتَهَا. ظَنَّتْ أَنَّهَا تَسْتَطِيعُ إِنْهَاءَ الْعَمَلِ فِي لَحْظَةٍ، فَضَغَطَتْ زِرَّ الْإِرْسَالِ دُونَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ الْمَلَفَّ. شَعَرَتْ بِالرَّاحَةِ عِنْدَمَا ظَهَرَتْ رِسَالَةُ التَّأْكِيدِ، ثُمَّ أَغْلَقَتِ الْحَاسُوبَ وَرَكَضَتْ نَحْوَ الْبَابِ.
فِي الْمَسَاءِ، سَأَلَتْهَا نُورٌ عَنِ الْمُرَاجَعَةِ. فَتَحَتْ سَلْمَى النُّسْخَةَ الَّتِي أَرْسَلَتْهَا، وَاكْتَشَفَتْ أَنَّهَا مُسَوَّدَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ: لَا أَسْعَارَ فِيهَا، وَلَا اسْمَ لِنُورٍ. قَالَتْ نُورٌ: «لَيْسَ الْمَشْرُوعُ لَكِ وَحْدَكِ». اِعْتَذَرَتْ سَلْمَى عَنِ التَّسَرُّعِ، وَلَمْ تَقُلْ إِنَّ الْحَاسُوبَ هُوَ السَّبَبُ. ثُمَّ طَلَبَتْ مِنْ صَدِيقَتِهَا أَنْ تُسَاعِدَهَا فِي إِصْلَاحِ الْخَطَإِ.
قَرَأَتَا شُرُوطَ الْمُسَابَقَةِ قَبْلَ إِرْسَالِ أَيِّ رِسَالَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ. وَجَدَتَا أَنَّ تَعْدِيلَ الْمُشَارَكَةِ مُمْكِنٌ حَتَّى مَسَاءَ الْجُمُعَةِ عَبْرَ رَابِطٍ فِي رِسَالَةِ التَّأْكِيدِ. أَضَافَتَا الْأَسْعَارَ وَالِاسْمَيْنِ، ثُمَّ قَارَنَتَا كُلَّ صَفْحَةٍ بِقَائِمَةِ الشُّرُوطِ. قَرَأَتْ نُورٌ النُّسْخَةَ الْأَخِيرَةَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَحْفَظَ سَلْمَى التَّعْدِيلَ.
فِي الْأُسْبُوعِ التَّالِي، لَمْ يَفُزْ مَشْرُوعُهُمَا بِالْجَائِزَةِ الْأُولَى. لَكِنَّ الْمَدْرَسَةَ وَافَقَتْ عَلَى تَجْرِبَتِهِ فِي فَصْلٍ وَاحِدٍ لِأَنَّ خُطَّتَهُمَا كَانَتْ وَاضِحَةً وَقَلِيلَةَ التَّكْلِفَةِ. وَعِنْدَمَا بَدَأَتَا كِتَابَةَ تَقْرِيرِ التَّجْرِبَةِ، وَضَعَتْ سَلْمَى وَرَقَةً بِجَانِبِ الشَّاشَةِ: «الْمُحْتَوَى، الْأَسْمَاءُ، مُرَاجَعَةُ نُورٍ». هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ، تَرَكَتْ وَقْتًا لِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ.
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The school announced a competition for ideas to make life there better. Salma and her friend Nour suggested putting boxes in classrooms to collect used paper. Nour looked for the prices of the boxes, while Salma wrote an explanation of the idea. They hoped the idea would reduce the amount of paper thrown away each day. The deadline for submitting entries was Friday evening, and they agreed to review the file together before sending it.
On Wednesday, Salma opened the file before leaving the library. She heard the bus and was afraid she would miss it. She thought she could finish the work in a moment, so she pressed the send button without reading the file. She felt relieved when the confirmation message appeared, then closed the computer and ran towards the door.
That evening, Nour asked her about the review. Salma opened the version she had sent and discovered that it was an old draft: it contained neither prices nor Nour’s name. Nour said, “The project is not yours alone.” Salma apologised for rushing and did not say that the computer was to blame. Then she asked her friend to help her correct the mistake.
They read the competition rules before sending any new message. They found that they could edit the entry until Friday evening through a link in the confirmation message. They added the prices and both names, then compared each page with the list of requirements. Nour read the final version before Salma saved the changes.
The following week, their project did not win first prize. But the school agreed to try it in one classroom because their plan was clear and inexpensive. When they began writing the trial report, Salma placed a sheet beside the screen: “Content, names, Nour’s review.” This time, she allowed time for every step.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْوَرَقِ الْمُسْتَعْمَلِ | used paper |
| آخِرُ مَوْعِدٍ | the deadline |
| زِرَّ الْإِرْسَالِ | the send button |
| رِسَالَةُ التَّأْكِيدِ | the confirmation message |
| مُسَوَّدَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ | an old draft |
| التَّسَرُّعِ | rushing; acting too hastily |
| شُرُوطَ الْمُسَابَقَةِ | the competition rules |
| تَعْدِيلَ الْمُشَارَكَةِ | editing the entry |
| قَلِيلَةَ التَّكْلِفَةِ | inexpensive |
| تَقْرِيرِ التَّجْرِبَةِ | the trial report |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Follow the sequence from a rushed submission to an agreed correction, distinguishing the bus departure from the actual competition deadline.
- Use the final checklist and the time set aside for each step to infer a change in Salma’s working habits.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
قَبْلَ إِرْسَالِ أَيِّ رِسَالَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ
Follow the order of actions with before and after expressions.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّ خُطَّتَهُمَا كَانَتْ وَاضِحَةً وَقَلِيلَةَ التَّكْلِفَةِ
Connect the school’s decision to its reason.
Kana in Arabic: Was and Were
كَانَتْ وَاضِحَةً وَقَلِيلَةَ التَّكْلِفَةِ
Recognise a past description of the project plan.
