If you are using the Reader for the 10-11th grade (likely the one by Afanasyeva and Mikheeva), try reading the text once without looking at any translations. Mark the words that appear more than three times—those are the ones that actually matter for the "soul" of the story.
Here is a short story about Sasha, a high schooler who stopped looking for the answers and started looking for the meaning. The Paper Bridge If you are using the Reader for the
Across the room, Katya spoke up. Her English wasn't perfect, and she stumbled over her tenses, but she looked at the text—not a translation. "I would say... 'Stay for the tea.' Because in the story, the tea is the only thing still warm. It is her last hope." The Paper Bridge Across the room, Katya spoke up