"The first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC..." Misha read in English. "Pervye Olimpiyskiye igry sostoyalis' v 776 godu do nashey ery..." he wrote in Russian.

The ready-made translation felt like a magic key. It saved him hours of frustration. He could see how the English sentences were structured without getting lost in the grammar. However, as he wrote, he realized something. By looking at the "ready-made" version, he wasn't just finishing his homework—he was actually starting to understand why the English words were placed where they were.

The next morning in class, the teacher, Elena Petrovna, called on Misha. "Misha, please read and translate the second paragraph."

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a smaller, well-worn book: the . He flipped to the section labeled "Gotovye Perevody Tekstov" (Ready-made Translations).

While these translations are helpful for checking your work, try to use resources like the Cambridge English Dictionary or Reverso Context to understand how words are used in different sentences!

"I’ll never finish this before football practice," Misha muttered. He knew he was supposed to use a dictionary and translate every sentence by hand into his notebook. But the clock was ticking.

Misha stood up. Thanks to his "secret" study session with the GDZ the night before, he didn't stumble. He read the English clearly and provided a translation that was accurate and natural.

"Well done, Misha," Elena Petrovna said, surprised. "It seems you’ve been practicing."