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Day 7 · Culture & Free Time · A2 Level

Learning to Skate at Sixteen

Daily Reading Practice · Elementary passage

⏱ Time target: 4-5 minutes 📖 Reading + Vocabulary ✅ 10 True / False questions
How to use this page: Highlighted words are key vocabulary. On a computer, hover your mouse over a highlighted word — on phone or tablet, tap the word — to see its English definition, a synonym, and its Uzbek 🇺🇿 and Russian 🇷🇺 meaning. Tap 🇬🇧 UK or 🇺🇸 US to hear it pronounced in either accent.
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Reading Passage

Otabek never learnedlearn (verb)To gain knowledge or a skill.≈ Synonym: acquire🇺🇿UZ: o'rganmoq🇷🇺RU: учиться to skateskate (verb)To move smoothly over ice or a surface on skates.≈ Synonym: glide🇺🇿UZ: konkida uchmoq🇷🇺RU: кататься на коньках when he was young. His family didn't live near an ice rinkrink (noun)An area of ice used for skating.≈ Synonym: ice arena🇺🇿UZ: muzli maydoncha🇷🇺RU: каток, and he was always busy with school. But last month, his friends invitedinvite (verb)To ask someone to come somewhere or do something.≈ Synonym: ask along🇺🇿UZ: taklif qilmoq🇷🇺RU: приглашать him to a new indoorindoor (adj)Situated or done inside a building.≈ Synonym: inside🇺🇿UZ: yopiq (bino ichidagi)🇷🇺RU: закрытый (в помещении) ice rink, and he finallyfinally (adverb)After a long time; at last.≈ Synonym: eventually🇺🇿UZ: nihoyat🇷🇺RU: наконец said yes.

"Did you skate at all when you were a childchild (noun)A young person who is not yet an adult.≈ Synonym: kid🇺🇿UZ: bola🇷🇺RU: ребёнок?" his friend Diyor asked. "Not once," Otabek admittedadmit (verb)To agree, often reluctantly, that something is true.≈ Synonym: confess🇺🇿UZ: tan olmoq🇷🇺RU: признавать, holdinghold (verb)To have something in your hands or arms.≈ Synonym: grip🇺🇿UZ: ushlab turmoq🇷🇺RU: держать the wallwall (noun)A vertical structure that divides or encloses an area.≈ Synonym: barrier🇺🇿UZ: devor🇷🇺RU: стена nervouslynervously (adverb)In a way that shows worry or fear.≈ Synonym: anxiously🇺🇿UZ: hayajon bilan🇷🇺RU: нервно. "Did you skate a lot when you were young?" "All the time," Diyor smiled.

Otabek's first attemptattempt (noun)An effort to do something.≈ Synonym: try🇺🇿UZ: urinish🇷🇺RU: попытка didn't go well — he fellfall (verb)To drop down to the ground suddenly.≈ Synonym: tumble🇺🇿UZ: yiqilmoq🇷🇺RU: падать down almostalmost (adverb)Nearly, but not completely.≈ Synonym: nearly🇺🇿UZ: deyarli🇷🇺RU: почти immediatelyimmediately (adverb)At once; without any delay.≈ Synonym: instantly🇺🇿UZ: darhol🇷🇺RU: немедленно. "Are you OK?" Diyor asked, trying not to laugh. "I'm finefine (adj)In good health or condition; all right.≈ Synonym: okay🇺🇿UZ: yaxshi🇷🇺RU: хорошо (в порядке)," Otabek said, standingstand (verb)To be in an upright position on your feet.≈ Synonym: rise🇺🇿UZ: turmoq🇷🇺RU: стоять up slowly. "I just didn't expectexpect (verb)To think that something will happen.≈ Synonym: anticipate🇺🇿UZ: kutmoq🇷🇺RU: ожидать the ice to be so slipperyslippery (adj)Smooth and difficult to hold or stand on.≈ Synonym: smooth🇺🇿UZ: sirg'anchiq🇷🇺RU: скользкий!"

He tried again, and again. He didn't give upgive up (phrasal verb)To stop trying to do something.≈ Synonym: quit🇺🇿UZ: taslim bo'lmoq🇷🇺RU: сдаваться, even when he fell for the fifth time. "Didn't that hurthurt (verb)To cause pain to someone.≈ Synonym: cause pain🇺🇿UZ: og'ritmoq🇷🇺RU: причинять боль?" Diyor asked. "A little," Otabek laughed, "but I'm not stopping now."

By the end of the hour, Otabek could skate slowly across the rink withoutwithout (preposition)Not having something.≈ Synonym: lacking🇺🇿UZ: -siz🇷🇺RU: без fallingfall (verb)To drop down to the ground suddenly.≈ Synonym: tumble🇺🇿UZ: yiqilmoq🇷🇺RU: падать. He didn't skate gracefullygracefully (adverb)In a smooth, elegant way.≈ Synonym: elegantly🇺🇿UZ: nafis tarzda🇷🇺RU: изящно, but he skated!

"I'm proud of you," Diyor said. "Mostmost (determiner)The majority of; the greatest amount.≈ Synonym: the majority of🇺🇿UZ: ko'pchilik🇷🇺RU: большинство people don't try new things at sixteen — they think it's embarrassingembarrassing (adj)Making you feel shy, awkward, or ashamed.≈ Synonym: awkward🇺🇿UZ: noqulay🇷🇺RU: неловкий." "Why?" Otabek shruggedshrug (verb)To raise your shoulders to show you don't know or care.≈ Synonym: gesture🇺🇿UZ: yelka qisdi🇷🇺RU: пожать плечами. "Everyone starts somewhere."

That evening, Otabek's legsleg (noun)One of the parts of the body used for standing and walking.≈ Synonym: limb🇺🇿UZ: oyoq🇷🇺RU: нога were soresore (adj)Painful, especially from being used a lot.≈ Synonym: aching🇺🇿UZ: og'riq🇷🇺RU: болезненный, but his smile was hugehuge (adj)Extremely large in size or amount.≈ Synonym: enormous🇺🇿UZ: ulkan🇷🇺RU: огромный. He already couldn't wait to come back next week.

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      Every highlighted word from this story with its meaning in Uzbek 🇺🇿 and Russian 🇷🇺, and an example. Tap 🇬🇧 or 🇺🇸 to hear the word or the sentence in a British or American accent.

      #🇬🇧🇺🇿🇷🇺Example
      1
      learnverb
      o'rganmoqучитьсяI learned to swim when I was six.
      2
      skateverb
      konkida uchmoqкататься на конькахMy cousin can skate very well.
      3
      rinknoun
      muzli maydonchaкатокThe ice rink is open every weekend in winter.
      4
      inviteverb
      taklif qilmoqприглашатьAziz invited me to his birthday party.
      5
      indooradjective
      yopiq (bino ichidagi)закрытый (в помещении)Our school has an indoor swimming pool.
      6
      finallyadverb
      nihoyatнаконецAfter two hours, the bus finally came.
      7
      childnoun
      bolaребёнокAs a child, I lived in a small village.
      8
      admitverb
      tan olmoqпризнаватьHe admitted that he broke the window.
      9
      holdverb
      ushlab turmoqдержатьThe girl is holding her mother's hand.
      10
      wallnoun
      devorстенаThere is a big map on the classroom wall.
      11
      nervouslyadverb
      hayajon bilanнервноShe looked at the exam paper nervously.
      12
      attemptnoun
      urinishпопыткаHe passed his driving test at the first attempt.
      13
      fallverb
      yiqilmoqпадатьMy little brother fell off his bike yesterday.
      14
      almostadverb
      deyarliпочтиI almost forgot my homework!
      15
      immediatelyadverb
      darholнемедленноWhen she heard the news, she called me immediately.
      16
      fineadjective
      yaxshiхорошо (в порядке)"How are you?" "I'm fine, thanks."
      17
      standverb
      turmoqстоятьMany people were standing at the bus stop.
      18
      expectverb
      kutmoqожидатьI didn't expect so many guests.
      19
      slipperyadjective
      sirg'anchiqскользкийBe careful — the road is slippery after the rain.
      20
      give upphrasal verb
      taslim bo'lmoqсдаватьсяLearning English is hard, but don't give up!
      21
      hurtverb
      og'ritmoqпричинять больMy back hurt after the long journey.
      22
      withoutpreposition
      -sizбезI can't drink tea without sugar.
      23
      fallverb
      yiqilmoqпадатьLeaves are falling from the trees.
      24
      gracefullyadverb
      nafis tarzdaизящноThe dancer moved gracefully across the stage.
      25
      mostdeterminer
      ko'pchilikбольшинствоMost students in my class like football.
      26
      embarrassingadjective
      noqulayнеловкийI called my teacher “Mum” — it was so embarrassing!
      27
      shrugverb
      yelka qisdiпожать плечамиI asked him why, but he just shrugged.
      28
      legnoun
      oyoqногаMy legs were tired after the long walk.
      29
      soreadjective
      og'riqболезненныйI have a sore throat today.
      30
      hugeadjective
      ulkanогромныйThere's a huge tree in front of our school.