Countryside: 20 TOPIK II reading passages, each with translated sentences and comprehension questions.
🌱 Planting Too Early
지훈 씨 부부는 작년 봄에 도시 생활을 정리하고 강원도의 한 산골 마을로 귀농했어요.
Last spring, Jihun and his wife left city life behind and moved to a mountain village in Gangwon Province to farm.
인터넷 영상으로 농사를 공부한 두 사람은 사월 초에 고추 모종을 한꺼번에 밭에 심었어요.
Having studied farming through online videos, the two planted all their pepper seedlings in the field at once in early April.
그 모습을 본 이웃 할아버지는 “산골에서 사월에 모종을 다 심는대서야 서리를 피할 수 있겠나.” 하며 혀를 차셨어요.
Seeing this, the old man next door clicked his tongue and said, “If you plant every seedling in April up in the mountains, how do you expect to escape the frost?”
부부는 날씨가 이미 따뜻하다며 그 말을 크게 신경 쓰지 않았어요.
The couple didn't pay much attention, saying the weather was already warm.
그런데 일주일 뒤 새벽 기온이 갑자기 영하로 떨어지면서 모종 절반이 얼어 버렸어요.
But a week later, the early-morning temperature suddenly dropped below zero, and half the seedlings froze.
산골은 평지보다 봄이 늦고 일교차도 커서 심는 시기를 따로 판단해야 한다는 것을 그제야 알았죠.
Only then did they realize that spring comes later in the mountains than on flat land and the temperature swings are bigger, so planting time has to be judged separately.
남은 모종은 할아버지의 조언대로 비닐로 덮어 두었고, 오월 중순에 새로 심은 고추는 잘 자랐어요.
Following the old man's advice, they covered the remaining seedlings with plastic, and the peppers they replanted in mid-May grew well.
이제 지훈 씨는 영상보다 마을 어른들의 경험을 먼저 묻는 습관이 생겼어요.
Now Jihun has made a habit of asking the village elders about their experience before turning to videos.
Why did the old man next door click his tongue?
- They planted the seedlings too early ✓
- They planted cabbage instead of peppers
- They didn't trust online videos
- They watered the field too much
What best explains why half the seedlings froze?
- A neighbor chose the wrong seedlings
- It didn't rain until mid-May
- They didn't know mountain spring weather ✓
- They planted the seedlings too deep
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The couple had farmed for years before moving
- The couple ignored the old man at first ✓
- The replanted peppers also died from frost
- Jihun now farms using only videos
🌊 The Day the Boats Stayed In
남해안의 작은 어촌에서 삼십 년째 고기를 잡는 정호 씨는 매일 새벽 바다로 나가요.
Jeongho, who has been fishing for thirty years in a small fishing village on the south coast, goes out to sea every dawn.
그날도 하늘은 맑고 바람도 잔잔해서 다른 배들은 하나둘 출항 준비를 하고 있었어요.
That day, too, the sky was clear and the wind calm, so the other boats were getting ready to set out one by one.
하지만 정호 씨는 습관대로 기상 특보를 확인하다가 오후에 풍랑 경보가 내려질 수 있다는 소식을 봤어요.
But while checking the weather advisories out of habit, Jeongho saw news that a high-seas warning might be issued in the afternoon.
그는 항구를 돌며 동료들에게 오늘은 나가지 말자고 설득했고, 대부분이 배를 묶어 두었어요.
He went around the harbor persuading his colleagues not to go out that day, and most of them kept their boats tied up.
점심 무렵부터 바람이 거세지더니 오후에는 파도가 방파제를 넘을 만큼 높아졌어요.
Around lunchtime the wind grew fierce, and by afternoon the waves were high enough to wash over the breakwater.
먼바다로 나갔던 배 한 척은 해경의 도움을 받고서야 겨우 돌아올 수 있었어요.
One boat that had gone far out to sea only barely made it back with the help of the coast guard.
선장들은 “정호 씨가 미리 말해 줬기에 망정이지 다 같이 나갔으면 큰일 날 뻔했어요.” 하며 고마워했어요.
The captains thanked him, saying, “It's a good thing Jeongho warned us in advance; if we'd all gone out, it could have been a disaster.”
그날 이후 마을에서는 출항 전에 서로 기상 정보를 나누는 것이 규칙처럼 자리 잡았어요.
Since that day, sharing weather information before setting out has become something like a rule in the village.
Why did Jeongho tell his colleagues not to go out?
- The boats needed repairs first
- The wind was fierce from dawn
- The coast guard banned sailing
- A high-seas warning was expected ✓
Why were the captains grateful to Jeongho?
- Thanks to him they avoided the dangerous sea ✓
- He rescued a boat far out at sea
- He shared the fish he caught
- He rebuilt the fallen breakwater
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Every boat in the village went out
- Jeongho had just started fishing
- The village still has no info-sharing rule
- The weather looked fine in the morning ✓
🚌 When the Village Bus Runs Less
수빈 씨의 할아버지가 사시는 충청도 마을에는 읍내로 나가는 버스가 하루에 세 번밖에 없어요.
In the Chungcheong village where Subin's grandfather lives, there are only three buses a day into town.
지난 주말에 찾아갔을 때 할아버지는 “다음 달부터는 버스가 하루 두 번만 다닌다더군.” 하며 한숨을 쉬셨어요.
When she visited last weekend, her grandfather sighed and said, “I hear that from next month the bus will only run twice a day.”
승객이 점점 줄어서 버스 회사도 노선을 유지하기가 어려워졌기 때문이에요.
That's because passengers have steadily decreased, making it hard for the bus company to keep the route.
할아버지처럼 운전을 하지 않는 어르신들에게 버스는 병원과 시장에 가는 유일한 수단이에요.
For elderly people who don't drive, like her grandfather, the bus is the only way to get to the hospital and the market.
다행히 군에서는 버스가 줄어드는 마을을 위해 전화로 부르면 오는 마을 택시를 운영하기로 했어요.
Fortunately, the county decided to run a village taxi that comes when called by phone, for villages losing bus service.
요금은 버스비 정도라서 할아버지도 부담 없이 이용할 수 있어요.
The fare is about the same as the bus fare, so her grandfather can use it without worrying about the cost.
수빈 씨는 할아버지 휴대폰에 택시 번호를 단축 번호로 저장해 드리고 부르는 방법도 함께 여러 번 연습했어요.
Subin saved the taxi number as a speed-dial on her grandfather's phone and practiced calling it with him several times.
그래도 정류장에서 이웃들과 나누던 이야기가 줄어들 것 같아 할아버지는 조금 서운해하셨어요.
Still, her grandfather was a little sad, feeling that the chats he used to have with neighbors at the bus stop would become fewer.
What will change from next month?
- The bus fare doubles
- The bus runs only twice a day ✓
- The village taxi service ends
- The bus goes right to the hospital
Why was the grandfather a little sad?
- The taxi fare seems too expensive
- His granddaughter rarely visits
- Fewer chances to chat with neighbors ✓
- He dislikes learning to use his phone
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Fewer riders made the route hard to keep ✓
- Grandpa drives himself into town
- The village taxi costs far more than the bus
- Subin lives with her grandfather
🏫 A New Life for the Old Branch School
은서 씨가 다녔던 바닷가 마을의 분교는 학생이 한 명도 남지 않아 십 년 전에 문을 닫았어요.
The branch school in the seaside village that Eunseo attended closed ten years ago because not a single student remained.
그 후 운동장에는 풀이 무성해지고 교실 창문도 하나둘 깨져서 마을 사람들은 늘 안타까워했어요.
After that, weeds overran the playground and the classroom windows broke one by one, which always saddened the villagers.
이번 추석에 고향에 내려가니 이장님이 “그 분교가 내년에 마을 도서관으로 바뀐다더군요.” 하고 알려 주셨어요.
When she went home this Chuseok, the village head told her, “I heard the branch school will be turned into a village library next year.”
군청과 마을 주민들이 비용을 함께 나누어 낡은 건물을 고치기로 했다는 거예요.
Apparently the county office and the villagers decided to share the cost of repairing the old building.
교실 한 칸은 책 읽는 공간으로, 다른 한 칸은 어르신들이 한글과 스마트폰을 배우는 교실로 쓴대요.
One classroom will be a reading space, and another will be used as a class where elderly people learn Hangul and how to use smartphones.
방학 때 도시에서 내려오는 손주들도 이곳에서 책을 빌려 볼 수 있을 거예요.
Grandchildren who come down from the city during school breaks will also be able to borrow books there.
은서 씨는 어릴 때 그림을 그리던 교실에 다시 불이 켜진다고 생각하니 가슴이 벅찼어요.
Eunseo was overwhelmed with emotion at the thought that the lights would come on again in the classroom where she used to draw as a child.
그래서 서울로 돌아가자마자 집에 있던 동화책들을 상자에 담아 마을로 보냈어요.
So as soon as she got back to Seoul, she packed the children's books she had at home into a box and sent them to the village.
Why did the branch school close?
- The building was too old
- There were no students left ✓
- The teacher left for the city
- A library was being built
Why did Eunseo most likely send children's books to the village?
- The village head asked for books
- Her home was too small to keep them
- She wanted to help the new library ✓
- Her nephews will attend that school
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The county pays all repair costs
- The library opened this Chuseok
- Eunseo now lives in the seaside village
- There will be a learning space for seniors ✓
🤿 The Sea Divers' Newest Apprentice
제주도에 사는 친구 태오가 오랜만에 전화해서 사촌 누나 이야기를 들려줬어요.
My friend Taeo, who lives on Jeju Island, called after a long time and told me about his older cousin.
서울에서 회사에 다니던 누나가 일을 그만두고 고향 바다에서 해녀가 되겠다고 했다는 거예요.
His cousin, who had been working at a company in Seoul, apparently quit her job and said she would become a haenyeo diver in her hometown sea.
태오는 “요즘은 해녀 학교에서 물질을 배우는 젊은 사람이 조금씩 늘어난다더라고.” 하고 말했어요.
Taeo said, “I heard that these days more and more young people are learning to dive at haenyeo schools.”
해녀는 산소통 없이 숨을 참고 바닷속에 들어가 전복이나 소라 같은 해산물을 따는 사람이에요.
A haenyeo is someone who holds her breath and dives into the sea without an oxygen tank to gather seafood such as abalone and turban shells.
하지만 물질은 체력뿐 아니라 바다를 읽는 오랜 경험이 필요해서 쉽게 배울 수 있는 일이 아니에요.
But diving takes not only stamina but also long experience in reading the sea, so it isn't something you can learn easily.
그래서 누나는 매일 아침 마을의 나이 많은 해녀들을 따라 얕은 바다에서부터 연습하고 있대요.
So he says his cousin practices every morning, following the older haenyeo of the village, starting in shallow water.
어른 해녀들은 처음에는 걱정했지만 지금은 자기들의 기술을 이어 갈 사람이 생겼다며 반가워한대요.
The older haenyeo were worried at first, but now they are said to be glad that someone will carry on their skills.
전화를 끊고 나서 저는 용기 있는 선택을 한 누나를 꼭 한번 만나 보고 싶어졌어요.
After hanging up, I really wanted to meet his cousin, who had made such a brave choice.
What decision did Taeo's cousin make?
- To quit her job and become a haenyeo ✓
- To open a haenyeo school in Seoul
- To open a restaurant on Jeju
- To sell seafood in the city
Why is diving hard to learn?
- Handling an oxygen tank is very hard
- The schools don't accept young people
- It needs both stamina and sea experience ✓
- You can't practice in shallow water
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Her family backed her from the start
- The older haenyeo welcome her ✓
- Taeo is learning to dive with her
- The writer has met her many times
🧺 Market Day in Grandma's Town
하린 씨의 외할머니가 사시는 전라도 읍내에는 닷새마다 한 번씩 오일장이 열려요.
In the Jeolla town where Harin's grandmother lives, a traditional market opens once every five days.
장날이 되면 근처 마을 사람들이 직접 기른 채소와 곡식을 들고 모여들어 거리가 사람들로 가득해요.
On market day, people from nearby villages gather with vegetables and grain they grew themselves, and the streets fill with people.
지난 장날 아침, 할머니는 옆집 아주머니를 만나고 온 하린 씨에게 “뻥튀기 아저씨도 오늘 온다던?” 하고 물으셨어요.
On the morning of the last market day, her grandmother asked Harin, who had just been talking with the neighbor, “Did she say the rice-popping man is coming today too?”
뻥튀기 아저씨는 사람들이 가져온 쌀을 커다란 기계에 넣고 튀겨 주는데, 그 소리가 장터에서 가장 요란해요.
The rice-popping man puts the rice people bring into a big machine and pops it, and the sound is the loudest in the whole market.
아주머니 말로는 아저씨가 허리를 다쳐서 한동안 쉬었지만 이번 장부터 다시 나온다고 했어요.
According to the neighbor, the man had hurt his back and taken a break for a while, but would be back starting this market day.
그 말을 들은 할머니는 쌀 한 봉지를 챙겨 들고 누구보다 서둘러 장으로 향하셨어요.
Hearing that, her grandmother grabbed a bag of rice and headed to the market faster than anyone.
할머니에게 오일장은 물건을 사는 곳이기 전에 오랜 이웃들의 안부를 확인하는 자리예요.
For her grandmother, the market is, before being a place to shop, a place to check on how her longtime neighbors are doing.
하린 씨는 뻥튀기를 나눠 먹으며 웃는 할머니와 이웃들을 보고 장날이 왜 기다려지는지 알 것 같았어요.
Watching her grandmother and the neighbors laughing as they shared the popped rice, Harin felt she understood why people look forward to market day.
What did the grandmother ask Harin?
- Whether today was market day
- How much rice prices had risen
- Whether the neighbor was sick
- Whether the rice-popping man was coming ✓
Why did the grandmother hurry to the market?
- She heard the man was back after a break ✓
- She heard the market was morning-only
- She had to sell rice to raise money
- She had to get her back treated
What can be learned from this passage?
- The market opens only once a month
- The rice-popping man quit his business
- Harin ran the popping machine herself
- For Grandma, market day means seeing neighbors ✓
🏚️ What to Do with the Empty Houses
경상북도의 한 산골 마을에는 주인이 떠나고 오랫동안 비어 있는 집이 열 채가 넘어요.
In a mountain village in North Gyeongsang Province, more than ten houses have stood empty for a long time since their owners left.
빈집은 금방 낡고 잡초가 자라서 마을 전체가 쓸쓸해 보이는 원인이 되기도 해요.
Empty houses quickly deteriorate and fill with weeds, sometimes making the whole village look desolate.
그래서 올가을 마을 회의에서 젊은 이장 도윤 씨가 빈집을 살릴 방법을 함께 찾아보자고 제안했어요.
So at this fall's village meeting, Doyun, the young village head, suggested they look together for ways to bring the empty houses back to life.
그는 “민박으로 고친다든지 청년들에게 싸게 빌려준다든지 하나를 정해 봐요.” 하고 말했어요.
He said, “Let's pick one option, whether it's fixing them up as guesthouses or renting them cheaply to young people.”
어르신들은 낯선 손님이 드나드는 것보다 이웃이 되어 줄 사람이 오는 편이 낫다고 입을 모았어요.
The elders agreed that having people come who would become neighbors was better than having strangers coming and going.
결국 마을은 빈집 두 채를 먼저 수리해서 농사를 배우려는 청년들에게 싼 값에 빌려주기로 했어요.
In the end, the village decided to first repair two empty houses and rent them at a low price to young people wanting to learn farming.
집주인들도 집이 무너지는 것보다 누군가 살면서 돌보는 편이 좋다며 흔쾌히 동의했어요.
The owners also readily agreed, saying it was better for someone to live in and look after the houses than to let them fall down.
내년 봄에 첫 입주자가 들어오면 마을 어른들이 직접 농사를 가르쳐 줄 계획이에요.
When the first residents move in next spring, the village elders plan to teach them farming themselves.
What did the village finally decide?
- To turn every house into a guesthouse
- To rent houses cheaply to young people ✓
- To tear down ten houses at once
- To sell the houses to tourists
Why did the elders prefer another option over guesthouses?
- They had no money to run a guesthouse
- Young people disliked guesthouses
- They wanted people to live as neighbors ✓
- The owners opposed guesthouses
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The owners supported the village's plan ✓
- Doyun is the oldest in the village
- The first residents moved in this spring
- The empty houses are all like new
🍎 The Son Who Promised to Help
충청북도의 한 사과 농장에서는 해마다 시월이 되면 사과를 딸 일손이 모자라 애를 먹어요.
Every October, an apple orchard in North Chungcheong Province struggles because there aren't enough hands to pick the apples.
농장을 운영하는 부부는 올해도 서울에 사는 아들 재민 씨에게 주말에 좀 도와 달라고 부탁했어요.
This year again, the couple who runs the orchard asked their son Jaemin, who lives in Seoul, to help out on the weekend.
재민 씨는 꼭 가겠다고 약속했지만 토요일 오후가 되도록 아무 연락이 없었어요.
Jaemin promised he would definitely come, but by Saturday afternoon there was still no word from him.
참다못한 어머니는 전화를 걸어 “아침 일찍 내려온다며 아직도 서울에서 뭐 하니?” 하고 물으셨어요.
Unable to wait any longer, his mother called and asked, “Didn't you say you'd come down early in the morning? What are you still doing in Seoul?”
알고 보니 재민 씨는 갑자기 회사 일이 생겨서 출발하지 못하고 있었어요.
It turned out that Jaemin hadn't been able to leave because some work had suddenly come up.
미안해진 그는 다음 날 새벽 첫차를 타고 내려오면서 회사 동료 두 명까지 데려왔어요.
Feeling sorry, he came down on the first bus early the next morning and even brought two coworkers with him.
동료들은 사과 따기가 생각보다 힘들다면서도 갓 딴 사과의 맛에 감탄했어요.
The coworkers said picking apples was harder than they had thought, yet they marveled at the taste of freshly picked apples.
그날 저녁 부모님은 일손이 두 배가 되었다며 아들의 늦은 도착을 웃으며 용서해 주셨어요.
That evening, his parents laughed and forgave their son for arriving late, saying their workforce had doubled.
Why did the mother call Jaemin?
- Apple prices had dropped sharply
- He hadn't come at the promised time ✓
- To tell him to bring coworkers
- The harvest was put off a week
Why couldn't Jaemin leave on Saturday?
- He couldn't get a train ticket
- He was sick in bed
- Work suddenly came up ✓
- He was waiting for his coworkers
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Jaemin never came to the orchard
- The coworkers said picking was easy
- The orchard lacked hands for the first time
- His parents went easy on him in the end ✓
⛴️ Packages Wait for the Ferry
나연 씨는 전라남도의 작은 섬에 있는 초등학교로 발령을 받아 올봄부터 섬에서 살고 있어요.
Nayeon was assigned to an elementary school on a small island in South Jeolla Province and has been living on the island since this spring.
섬과 육지를 잇는 배는 하루에 두 번 다니는데, 바람이 강한 날에는 그마저 끊겨요.
The boat connecting the island and the mainland runs twice a day, and on windy days even that stops.
요즘은 전국 어디든 다음 날이면 택배가 온다지만 이 섬에서는 사나흘씩 걸리는 일이 흔해요.
They say that these days packages arrive the next day anywhere in the country, but on this island it often takes three or four days.
게다가 섬까지 오는 배송비가 따로 붙어서 작은 물건 하나를 시키기도 망설여져요.
On top of that, there's an extra shipping fee to the island, so she hesitates even to order one small item.
처음에는 불편하다고 느꼈지만 나연 씨는 곧 섬 사람들의 방식에 익숙해졌어요.
At first she found it inconvenient, but Nayeon soon got used to the islanders' way of doing things.
이웃들은 육지에 나가는 사람이 있으면 필요한 물건을 적어 주고 한꺼번에 사 와 달라고 부탁해요.
When someone is going to the mainland, the neighbors write down what they need and ask that person to buy it all at once.
지난주에는 나연 씨도 육지에 다녀오면서 할머니들이 부탁한 감기약과 털실을 한 보따리 사 왔어요.
Last week, when Nayeon went to the mainland, she too brought back a whole bundle of cold medicine and knitting yarn the grandmothers had asked for.
느리지만 서로 돕는 섬 생활 속에서 나연 씨는 도시에서 잊고 지냈던 여유를 배우고 있어요.
In the slow but mutually supportive life of the island, Nayeon is learning the ease she had forgotten in the city.
Why is it hard to get packages on the island?
- Few boats, and they stop in strong wind ✓
- There are no delivery firms at all
- Islanders dislike deliveries
- The school banned deliveries
Why do islanders ask people going to the mainland to shop for them?
- Money can't be used on the island
- They get paid a fee by that person
- Deliveries are slow and cost extra ✓
- Mainland goods cost more
What is the main idea of this passage?
- Packages reach the island the next day too
- Island life is slow but kind and relaxed ✓
- Island life is hard, so leave soon
- More boats must be added
🌉 Waiting for the Bridge
지난여름 장마 때 불어난 물에 마을 입구의 오래된 다리가 절반쯤 무너져 내렸어요.
During last summer's rainy season, the swollen water brought down about half of the old bridge at the village entrance.
그 후 주민들은 차가 다닐 수 없어서 산을 돌아가는 좁은 길로 한참을 둘러 다녀야 했어요.
After that, since cars couldn't cross, the residents had to take a long detour on a narrow road around the mountain.
몇 달이 지나도 공사 소식이 없자 마을 청년 현우 씨가 직접 군청에 찾아가 보기로 했어요.
When months passed with no news of construction, Hyunwoo, a young man from the village, decided to go to the county office himself.
그가 돌아오자 노인회장 어르신이 “그래, 군청에서는 다리를 언제 고친답디까?” 하고 물으셨어요.
When he returned, the head of the seniors' association asked, “So, when did the county office say they would fix the bridge?”
현우 씨는 예산이 확정되어 내년 봄에 새 다리를 짓기 시작한다는 답을 들었다고 전했어요.
Hyunwoo reported that he had been told the budget was confirmed and building a new bridge would start next spring.
또 새 다리는 예전보다 높고 튼튼하게 지어서 큰비에도 잠기지 않게 한대요.
He also said the new bridge would be built higher and sturdier than before so it won't be submerged even in heavy rain.
겨울 동안은 사람이 걸어서 건널 수 있는 임시 다리를 먼저 놓아 주기로 했다는 소식도 있었어요.
There was also news that for the winter, a temporary footbridge would be put in first so people could cross on foot.
어르신들은 그제야 안심하며 수고한 현우 씨에게 따뜻한 국밥 한 그릇을 대접했어요.
Only then did the elders feel relieved, and they treated Hyunwoo to a warm bowl of rice soup for his trouble.
Why did Hyunwoo go to the county office?
- He got a job at the county office
- He wanted the mountain road widened
- The seniors' head didn't want to go
- No bridge news for a long time ✓
Why will the new bridge be built higher than before?
- So it won't go under in heavy rain ✓
- Big boats must pass beneath it
- To show tourists the view
- More budget was left than expected
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The new bridge is done this winter
- A typhoon brought down the whole bridge
- Residents find the mountain road easier
- A temporary footbridge comes in winter ✓
🥔 Who Will Run the Potato Festival?
강원도의 한 고원 마을에서는 해마다 여름이 끝날 무렵 작은 감자 축제가 열려요.
In a highland village in Gangwon Province, a small potato festival is held every year toward the end of summer.
하지만 축제를 이끌던 어르신들이 점점 나이가 들면서 올해는 축제를 쉬자는 이야기까지 나왔어요.
But as the elders who had led the festival grew older, there was even talk of skipping it this year.
그러자 이장님은 “젊은 사람들이 준비를 맡는대야 축제를 열지요.” 하고 조건을 내거셨어요.
Then the village head set a condition: “We'll hold the festival only if the young people say they'll take charge of preparing it.”
그 말을 들은 귀농 삼 년 차 보람 씨가 마을의 젊은 부부 네 쌍과 함께 준비 위원회를 만들었어요.
Hearing this, Boram, in her third year of farming in the village, formed a preparation committee together with four young couples from the village.
그들은 감자 캐기 체험에 더해 감자 요리 대회와 아이들을 위한 감자 도장 만들기를 새로 준비했어요.
In addition to the potato-digging experience, they newly prepared a potato cooking contest and potato stamp-making for children.
어르신들은 전통 방식으로 감자떡을 빚는 법을 가르치며 행사에 힘을 보태셨어요.
The elders lent a hand by teaching how to make potato rice cakes the traditional way.
축제 날 이웃 마을은 물론 도시에서 온 가족들까지 찾아와 작년보다 훨씬 북적였어요.
On festival day, not only people from neighboring villages but even families from the city came, and it was much busier than last year.
이장님은 “이제 축제를 물려줄 사람이 생겼네요.” 하며 보람 씨의 손을 꼭 잡으셨어요.
The village head held Boram's hand tightly and said, “Now we have someone to hand the festival down to.”
What condition did the village head set?
- Bringing many guests from the city
- Young people take charge of preparations ✓
- Doubling potato farming
- The elders entering the cooking contest
Why was this year's festival busier than last year's?
- The festival was extended to a week
- A nearby village's festival was cancelled
- New events drew more people ✓
- Potatoes were very cheap this year
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The elders also helped prepare ✓
- This year's festival wasn't held
- Boram was born in this village
- The festival is held in early spring
🦪 The Young Man Learning Oyster Farming
경상남도의 한 바닷가 마을에 올봄 스물여덟 살 청년 동하 씨가 서울에서 이사를 왔어요.
This spring, Dongha, a twenty-eight-year-old young man, moved from Seoul to a seaside village in South Gyeongsang Province.
처음에 마을 사람들은 “굴 양식을 배운단 그 서울 청년 말이에요?” 하며 반신반의했어요.
At first the villagers were doubtful, saying, “You mean that young man from Seoul who says he's learning oyster farming?”
굴 양식은 새벽 찬 바다에서 무거운 줄을 끌어 올려야 하는 고된 일이라 오래 버티는 사람이 드물거든요.
That's because oyster farming is hard work that involves hauling up heavy lines in the cold sea at dawn, so few people last long.
동하 씨는 매일 새벽 네 시에 일어나 마을에서 가장 오래 굴을 키운 어르신의 배를 탔어요.
Dongha got up at four every morning and went out on the boat of the elder who had raised oysters the longest in the village.
손이 트고 허리가 아파도 그는 모르는 것이 생기면 수첩에 적어 두었다가 저녁마다 다시 물어봤어요.
Even when his hands cracked and his back hurt, whenever he didn't understand something he wrote it in a notebook and asked about it again every evening.
그런 모습을 본 어르신들은 하나둘 자신만의 요령을 알려 주기 시작했어요.
Seeing this, the elders began, one after another, to share their own tricks with him.
반년이 지난 지금 동하 씨는 작은 양식장을 직접 맡아 첫 수확을 앞두고 있어요.
Now, half a year later, Dongha is running a small oyster farm himself and is about to have his first harvest.
마을 사람들은 이제 그를 서울 청년이 아니라 우리 마을 막내라고 부르며 아껴요.
The villagers now cherish him, calling him not the young man from Seoul but the youngest member of their village.
Why were the villagers doubtful at first?
- Dongha was afraid of the sea
- Oyster farming is hard to stick with ✓
- Dongha tried to buy an oyster farm
- The village has no oyster farms
Why did the elders share their tricks with Dongha?
- He paid a lot for lessons
- He was an elder's grandson
- They saw how earnestly he learned ✓
- The county asked them to train him
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Dongha only goes to sea in the afternoon
- Villagers still don't trust him
- Dongha grew up in this village
- Dongha will soon have his first harvest ✓
🩺 The Doctor Who Chose the Mountains
전라북도의 깊은 산골 마을에는 오랫동안 의사가 없어서 주민들이 버스를 두 번이나 갈아타고 병원에 다녔어요.
In a remote mountain village in North Jeolla Province, there was no doctor for a long time, so residents had to change buses twice to get to a hospital.
작은 보건진료소가 있긴 했지만 의사를 구한다는 공고를 내도 지원하는 사람이 없었어요.
There was a small health clinic, but even when they posted notices looking for a doctor, no one applied.
주민들은 “이렇게 먼 산골까지 와서 일한달 의사가 어디 있겠어요?” 하며 반쯤 포기하고 있었어요.
The residents had half given up, saying, “Where would you find a doctor who'd agree to come work all the way out in such remote mountains?”
그런데 작년 겨울, 도시의 큰 병원에서 일하던 소희 씨가 이곳에 오겠다고 지원했어요.
But last winter, Sohee, who had been working at a large hospital in the city, applied to come here.
소희 씨는 어릴 때 시골에 사시던 할머니가 제때 치료를 받지 못해 고생하신 기억이 있었대요.
Sohee says that as a child, she saw her grandmother in the countryside suffer because she couldn't get treatment in time.
지금은 진료소에서 환자를 보는 것뿐 아니라 걷기 힘든 어르신들 집에 직접 찾아가기도 해요.
Now she not only sees patients at the clinic but also visits the homes of elderly people who have trouble walking.
요즘 어르신들은 진료가 끝나면 고맙다며 텃밭에서 기른 채소를 한 봉지씩 놓고 가세요.
These days, after their appointments, the elders leave a bag of vegetables from their gardens as thanks.
소희 씨는 도시보다 월급은 적지만 이곳에서 의사로서 가장 큰 보람을 느낀다고 말해요.
Sohee says that although her salary is lower than in the city, it is here that she feels the greatest fulfillment as a doctor.
Why had the residents half given up?
- No one applied for the doctor post ✓
- The clinic had closed down
- The bus to the hospital was cut
- Medical costs had soared
Why did Sohee decide to come here?
- She lost her job at the city hospital
- The pay here is higher than in the city
- A memory of her grandma's late treatment ✓
- Her whole family lives here
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Sohee refuses the vegetables
- Sohee also visits patients at home ✓
- The village still has no doctor
- Sohee plans to go back to the city
🌾 Too Busy to See a Doctor
가은 씨의 아버지는 경기도 시골에서 벼농사를 짓는데, 모내기 철이면 하루도 쉬지 않고 논에 나가세요.
Gaeun's father grows rice in the Gyeonggi countryside, and during rice-planting season he goes out to the paddies without taking a single day off.
올봄에는 아버지가 기침을 자주 하시고 식사도 잘 못 하셔서 가족들이 걱정이 많았어요.
This spring her father coughed often and couldn't eat well, so the family was very worried.
하지만 가은 씨가 몇 번이나 언제 병원에 가시겠느냐는데도 아버지는 모내기가 끝나면 가겠다는 말만 하셨어요.
But even though Gaeun asked him several times when he would go to the hospital, her father only said he would go once the planting was over.
결국 가은 씨는 주말에 직접 내려가서 이웃에게 아버지 대신 논일을 해 달라고 부탁해 두었어요.
In the end, Gaeun went down herself on the weekend and asked a neighbor to do the paddy work in her father's place.
그러고는 읍내 병원에 아버지를 모시고 가서 검사를 받으시게 했어요.
Then she took her father to the hospital in town and had him get checked.
검사 결과 폐렴 초기라서 조금만 더 늦었으면 입원해야 했을 거라는 말을 들었어요.
The tests showed early-stage pneumonia, and they were told that if it had been any later, he would have had to be hospitalized.
약을 드시고 푹 쉰 아버지는 이 주일 만에 기운을 되찾고 다시 논으로 나가셨어요.
After taking medicine and resting well, her father regained his strength in two weeks and went back out to the paddies.
그 뒤로 아버지는 농사일이 바빠도 몸이 이상하면 먼저 병원에 가겠다고 약속하셨어요.
Since then, her father has promised that even when farm work is busy, he'll go to the hospital first if something feels wrong.
Why didn't the father go to the hospital right away?
- There was no hospital in town
- Hospital bills were a burden
- His cough had already cleared up
- It was the busy planting season ✓
Why did Gaeun ask a neighbor to do the paddy work?
- So her father could see a doctor at ease ✓
- Her father decided to quit farming
- The neighbor wanted to buy the paddy
- Gaeun wanted to learn paddy work
Which of the following matches the passage?
- He was hospitalized for a month
- Gaeun farms with her father
- He still refuses to see a doctor
- He recovered without being hospitalized ✓
🌌 Guests Who Came for the Stars
유진 씨의 부모님은 충청남도의 한 시골 마을에서 작은 농가 민박을 운영하세요.
Yujin's parents run a small farmhouse inn in a rural village in South Chungcheong Province.
지난여름 방학에는 유진 씨가 내려가서 도시에서 온 손님들을 맞는 일을 도왔어요.
Last summer vacation, Yujin went down and helped welcome guests from the city.
어느 날 저녁 한 가족이 체크인을 하다가 이 마을에서 밤하늘의 별을 잘 볼 수 있는지 물었어요.
One evening, a family checking in asked whether they could see the stars well in the night sky in this village.
유진 씨는 마당에 계신 아버지께 달려가 “아빠, 손님들이 여기서 별을 볼 수 있느냐는데요.” 하고 전했어요.
Yujin ran to her father in the yard and told him, “Dad, the guests are asking whether they can see the stars here.”
아버지는 웃으면서 불빛이 적은 뒷산 밭둑에 가면 은하수까지 보인다고 알려 주셨어요.
Her father smiled and said that if they went to the field bank on the hill behind the house, where there were few lights, they could even see the Milky Way.
그날 밤 아버지는 손전등과 돗자리를 챙겨 손님 가족을 직접 밭둑까지 안내하셨어요.
That night, her father packed a flashlight and a mat and personally guided the family to the field bank.
도시에서만 자란 아이들은 쏟아질 듯한 별을 보고 소리를 지르며 한참 동안 자리를 떠나지 못했어요.
The children, who had only ever lived in the city, cried out at the stars that seemed about to pour down and couldn't leave for a long while.
그 후 부모님은 민박 소개에 별 보기 체험을 더했고, 요즘은 그것을 보러 오는 손님이 많아요.
After that, her parents added stargazing to their inn's description, and these days many guests come for it.
What did the guest family want to know?
- Whether they could pick vegetables
- Whether stars were visible in the village ✓
- How much the inn cost
- Where the path up the hill was
Why are the stars easy to see from the field bank on the hill?
- It's the highest mountain around
- A telescope is installed there
- There are few lights around ✓
- There are no clouds in summer
Which of the following matches the passage?
- The inn added a stargazing activity ✓
- Yujin lives in the country with her parents
- The kids went back inside right away
- Her father didn't answer the guests
🔥 No Burning in a Dry Spring
봄철 시골에서는 밭에 남은 마른 풀이나 쓰레기를 태우다가 산불이 나는 일이 종종 있어요.
In the countryside in spring, wildfires sometimes start when people burn dry grass or trash left in the fields.
어느 건조한 오후, 주말이라 시골에 내려온 준서가 할아버지 대신 마른 고춧대를 태우겠다고 나섰어요.
One dry afternoon, Junseo, who had come down to the countryside for the weekend, volunteered to burn the dried pepper stalks in place of his grandfather.
할아버지가 불 끌 물은 준비했느냐고 물으셨지만 준서는 대답도 없이 라이터부터 꺼냈어요.
His grandfather asked whether he had water ready to put out the fire, but Junseo took out a lighter without even answering.
그 순간 바람이 휙 불자 할아버지는 목소리를 높여 “물은 떠 놨냐니까는?” 하고 다시 물으셨어요.
At that moment a gust of wind blew, and his grandfather raised his voice and asked again, “I said, did you get the water ready?”
그제야 준서는 불씨 하나가 바람을 타고 옆 산으로 번지면 걷잡을 수 없다는 것을 깨달았어요.
Only then did Junseo realize that if a single spark rode the wind to the mountain next to them, the fire could get out of control.
할아버지는 요즘처럼 건조한 봄에는 아예 태우지 말고 고춧대를 모아서 퇴비로 만드는 게 낫다고 하셨어요.
His grandfather said that in a dry spring like this, it's better not to burn at all and instead gather the stalks to make compost.
실제로 마을 방송에서도 산불 조심 기간에는 밭에서 불을 피우지 말라는 안내가 매일 나오고 있었어요.
In fact, the village loudspeaker had been announcing every day that people should not light fires in their fields during the wildfire-caution period.
준서는 라이터를 주머니에 넣고 할아버지와 함께 고춧대를 한쪽에 차곡차곡 쌓았어요.
Junseo put the lighter in his pocket and, together with his grandfather, neatly stacked the pepper stalks to one side.
What did the grandfather ask Junseo again?
- Where he bought the lighter
- Whether he had water ready ✓
- How many stalks he had gathered
- When he'd go back to the city
Why did the grandfather say not to burn the stalks?
- Pepper stalks don't burn well
- The stalks sell for a good price
- Fire risk is high in a dry spring ✓
- Junseo is afraid of fire
Which of the following matches the passage?
- Junseo burned all the stalks in the end
- A small fire actually spread to the hill
- Grandpa told him to burn from the start
- The village broadcast warnings about fires ✓
🐗 Calling About the Wild Boars
산자락 아래에서 옥수수 농사를 짓는 미영 씨는 요즘 밤마다 잠을 설쳐요.
Miyoung, who grows corn at the foot of a mountain, has been sleeping badly every night lately.
산에서 내려온 멧돼지들이 밤사이 밭을 파헤치고 다 익은 옥수수를 먹어 치우기 때문이에요.
That's because wild boars come down from the mountain overnight, dig up the field, and devour the ripe corn.
참다못한 미영 씨는 군청 농업 부서에 전화를 걸어 피해를 신고하고 울타리 지원을 요청했어요.
Unable to take it any longer, Miyoung called the county office's agriculture department, reported the damage, and asked for help with a fence.
그런데 담당자가 서류 이야기만 길게 늘어놓자 미영 씨는 “그래서 언제 와 주시느냐니까요?” 하고 다시 물었어요.
But when the official went on at length only about paperwork, Miyoung asked again, “So I'm asking you, when are you coming out?”
담당자는 그제야 사과하며 다음 날 오전에 직원을 보내 밭을 살펴보겠다고 약속했어요.
Only then did the official apologize and promise to send a staff member the next morning to look at the field.
다음 날 나온 직원은 피해 사진을 찍고, 전기 울타리 설치 비용의 일부를 지원받을 수 있다고 안내했어요.
The staff member who came the next day took photos of the damage and explained that she could get support for part of the cost of installing an electric fence.
한 달 뒤 밭 둘레에 울타리가 세워지자 멧돼지 발자국은 눈에 띄게 줄었어요.
A month later, once a fence was put up around the field, the wild boar tracks decreased noticeably.
미영 씨는 답답해도 포기하지 않고 끝까지 물어본 것이 결국 밭을 지킨 셈이라고 말해요.
Miyoung says that not giving up and asking to the end, even when it was frustrating, is what ultimately saved her field.
Why did Miyoung call the county office?
- To report wild boar damage ✓
- To sell corn to the county
- To get a hunting permit
- To learn how to fill in forms
Why did Miyoung ask the same question again?
- The phone line was bad
- The fence was too expensive
- The official didn't give the answer she wanted ✓
- Staff were already at the field
What is the main idea of this passage?
- Even electric fences can't stop boars
- Keep pressing to the end without giving up ✓
- It's best to handle crop damage alone
- Plant another crop instead of corn
🐚 When Does the Tide Come In?
서해안의 한 어촌 마을에서는 썰물 때 넓은 갯벌이 드러나서 조개 캐기 체험을 할 수 있어요.
In a fishing village on the west coast, a wide mudflat is exposed at low tide, so visitors can try digging for clams.
지난 주말 하준이네 가족도 장화를 신고 호미를 든 채 갯벌로 나갔어요.
Last weekend, Hajun's family also put on rubber boots and went out onto the mudflat carrying hand hoes.
입구에서 마을 어민은 밀물이 생각보다 빨리 들어오니 오후 세 시 전에는 꼭 나오라고 당부했어요.
At the entrance, a local fisherman urged them to be sure to come out before three in the afternoon, because the tide comes in faster than you'd think.
조개 캐기에 정신이 팔린 아빠에게 하준이는 “아빠, 물 언제 들어오냐니깐?” 하고 몇 번이나 물었어요.
Hajun asked his dad, who was absorbed in digging clams, again and again, “Dad, I said when is the water coming in?”
그제야 시계를 본 아빠는 벌써 두 시 반이 넘은 것을 알고 깜짝 놀랐어요.
Only then did his dad look at his watch, and he was startled to see it was already past two-thirty.
가족이 서둘러 나오는 동안 멀리 있던 바닷물은 어느새 발밑까지 밀려와 있었어요.
As the family hurried out, the seawater that had been far away had, before they knew it, reached their feet.
어민 아저씨는 갯벌에서는 물길을 따라 물이 먼저 차오르기 때문에 사람들이 쉽게 고립된다고 설명해 주셨어요.
The fisherman explained that on mudflats the water fills in first along the channels, so people easily get cut off.
그날 이후 하준이네 가족은 바다에 가면 물때표부터 확인하는 습관이 생겼어요.
Since that day, Hajun's family has made a habit of checking the tide table first whenever they go to the sea.
What did the fisherman urge at the entrance?
- Not to dig up too many clams
- To go in without boots
- That children should stay out
- To leave the mudflat before three ✓
Why did Hajun ask the same question several times?
- Dad was too absorbed to answer ✓
- Dad had lost his watch
- The water was already at their feet
- The fisherman told Hajun to ask
What can be learned from this passage?
- The tide only comes in at five
- Hajun's family got stranded
- It can't be done at low tide
- On mudflats you must know the tide times ✓
🚪 The Village with Open Doors
지난여름 저는 대학 친구 지민이를 따라 지민이 할머니가 사시는 산골 마을에 며칠 머물렀어요.
Last summer I went with my college friend Jimin and stayed a few days in the mountain village where her grandmother lives.
첫날 밤 잠자리에 들기 전에 보니 대문도 현관문도 활짝 열려 있었어요.
On the first night, before going to bed, I noticed that both the gate and the front door were wide open.
도시에서 늘 문부터 잠그던 저는 걱정이 돼서 “할머니, 밤에 문은 안 잠그세요?” 하고 여쭤봤어요.
Used to always locking the door first thing in the city, I got worried and asked, “Grandma, don't you lock the doors at night?”
할머니는 웃으시며 “문을 잠그느냐니요, 이 동네는 서로 다 아는 사이라 열어 두고 살아요.” 하셨어요.
She laughed and said, “Lock the door, you ask? Everyone here knows each other, so we leave them open.”
다음 날 아침 마당에 나가 보니 누가 두고 갔는지 갓 딴 옥수수 한 바구니가 놓여 있었어요.
The next morning I went out to the yard and found a basket of freshly picked corn that someone had left.
할머니는 옆집 할아버지가 새벽에 밭에 다녀오시는 길에 놓고 가신 거라고 하셨어요.
Grandma said the old man next door had left it on his way back from the field at dawn.
집을 비울 때도 이웃이 들러 화분에 물을 주고 택배를 들여놓아 준다고 해요.
She said that even when she is away, neighbors drop by to water her plants and bring in her packages.
옆집 사람 얼굴도 잘 모르고 사는 저에게 그 열린 문은 오래 생각할 거리를 남겼어요.
For someone like me who barely knows my neighbors' faces, those open doors gave me a lot to think about.
What was left in the yard in the morning?
- A package box from a neighbor
- A basket of freshly picked corn ✓
- A short note from Grandma
- A well-watered flowerpot
Why doesn't Grandma lock the door at night?
- Because the lock is broken
- Because she lost the key
- Because the villagers all know each other ✓
- Because guests often come at night
Which of the following matches the text?
- Neighbors in this village look after each other's homes ✓
- This person moved from the countryside to the city
- Grandma always locks the door at night
- Grandma picked the corn herself
🗣️ Are You from Seoul?
우석 씨는 올여름 목공 일을 배우려고 경상북도의 한 작은 마을로 귀촌했어요.
This summer, Wooseok moved to a small village in North Gyeongsang Province to learn carpentry.
그가 세 들어 사는 집의 주인 할아버지는 매일 저녁 마을 회관에 들러 이웃들과 이야기를 나누세요.
The old man who owns the house Wooseok rents stops by the village hall every evening to chat with the neighbors.
어느 날 회관에서 돌아온 할아버지가 웃으며 “다들 자네가 혹시 서울 사람 아니냐더군.” 하고 말씀하셨어요.
One day, back from the hall, the old man said with a smile, “Everyone was asking whether you might be from Seoul.”
우석 씨의 말투가 마을 사람들과 달라서 어르신들이 그를 궁금해하셨던 거예요.
Because Wooseok's way of speaking was different from the villagers', the elders had been curious about him.
사실 우석 씨도 처음에는 어르신들의 사투리를 절반밖에 알아듣지 못해 대화가 자주 끊겼어요.
In fact, at first Wooseok could understand only half of the elders' dialect, so conversations often broke off.
그래서 그는 모르는 표현이 나올 때마다 할아버지께 뜻을 여쭤보고 직접 따라 말해 보았어요.
So every time an expression he didn't know came up, he asked the old man what it meant and tried saying it himself.
몇 달이 지나자 우석 씨가 어설픈 사투리로 인사를 건네면 어르신들이 크게 웃으며 반겨 주셨어요.
After a few months, whenever Wooseok greeted them in his clumsy dialect, the elders laughed heartily and welcomed him.
이제 우석 씨는 말투를 배우는 것이 곧 마을 사람들의 마음에 다가가는 길이라고 느끼고 있어요.
Now Wooseok feels that learning the way people talk is itself a way of getting closer to the villagers' hearts.
What were the village elders curious about?
- Whether Wooseok was married
- Whether Wooseok was from Seoul ✓
- When Wooseok would leave
- How much rent Wooseok paid
Why did the elders ask that?
- He often talked about Seoul
- He wore city clothes
- His way of speaking was different ✓
- The old man said he was from Seoul
What is the main idea of this passage?
- Only standard Korean should be used
- Dialects are too hard to learn
- Carpentry is hard to learn in the country
- Learning local speech opens hearts ✓