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Day 13 · History & Civilisation · B2 Level

The Age of European Exploration

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 6-7 minutes 📖 Reading + Vocabulary ✅ 10 True / False questions
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Reading Passage

The Age of Exploration was a period of history when European sailorssailor (noun)People who work on ships at sea.≈ Synonym: seafarers🇺🇿UZ: dengizchi🇷🇺RU: моряк and explorersexplorer (noun)People who travel to discover unknown places.≈ Synonym: adventurers🇺🇿UZ: tadqiqotchi, sayyoh🇷🇺RU: исследователь, первооткрыватель set out to discoverdiscover (verb)To find or learn something for the first time.≈ Synonym: find🇺🇿UZ: kashf qilmoq🇷🇺RU: открывать new lands. This period began in the 15th century and continued into the 17th century. It changed the world in many ways, opening up new trade routestrade route (noun)Paths used to transport goods for trade.≈ Synonym: commercial paths🇺🇿UZ: savdo yo'li🇷🇺RU: торговый путь, creating connectionsconnection (noun)Links or relationships between things.≈ Synonym: links🇺🇿UZ: aloqa, bog'liqlik🇷🇺RU: связь between distantdistant (adj)Far away in space.≈ Synonym: far-off🇺🇿UZ: uzoq🇷🇺RU: отдалённый cultures, and shapingshape (verb)Having a strong influence on how something develops.≈ Synonym: forming🇺🇿UZ: shakllantirmoq🇷🇺RU: формировать the modern world map.

One of the main reasons for this great wavewave (noun)A sudden increase or spread of activity.≈ Synonym: surge🇺🇿UZ: to'lqin (ko'chma ma'noda ham)🇷🇺RU: волна of exploration was the desiredesire (noun)A strong wish for something.≈ Synonym: wish🇺🇿UZ: istak🇷🇺RU: желание for wealthwealth (noun)A large amount of money or valuable possessions.≈ Synonym: riches🇺🇿UZ: boylik🇷🇺RU: богатство. European countries, especially Spain and Portugal, were looking for new ways to tradetrade (verb)To buy and sell goods.≈ Synonym: exchange goods🇺🇿UZ: savdo qilmoq🇷🇺RU: торговать with Asia. They wanted spicesspice (noun)Substances used to flavour food, from plants.≈ Synonym: seasonings🇺🇿UZ: ziravor🇷🇺RU: специя, silksilk (noun)A fine, soft fabric made from silkworm thread.≈ Synonym: fine fabric🇺🇿UZ: ipak🇷🇺RU: шёлк, and other goods that were expensive and difficult to get through existingexisting (adj)Currently in use or present.≈ Synonym: current🇺🇿UZ: mavjud🇷🇺RU: существующий land routes. By finding sea routes, they hoped to make trade faster, cheaper, and more profitableprofitable (adj)Producing financial gain.≈ Synonym: lucrative🇺🇿UZ: foydali🇷🇺RU: прибыльный.

Another reason for exploration was curiositycuriosity (noun)A strong desire to learn or know something.≈ Synonym: inquisitiveness🇺🇿UZ: qiziquvchanlik🇷🇺RU: любопытство and a spirit of adventureadventure (noun)An exciting or unusual experience.≈ Synonym: escapade🇺🇿UZ: sarguzasht🇷🇺RU: приключение. Many sailors wanted to see new lands and experienceexperience (verb)To encounter or undergo something.≈ Synonym: encounter🇺🇿UZ: boshdan kechirmoq🇷🇺RU: испытывать, переживать unknown cultures. There was also a strong interestinterest (noun)A feeling of wanting to know or learn about something.≈ Synonym: curiosity🇺🇿UZ: qiziqish🇷🇺RU: интерес in spreading ChristianityChristianity (noun)The religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.≈ Synonym: Christian faith🇺🇿UZ: xristianlik🇷🇺RU: христианство to other parts of the world. Some explorers travelled with priestspriest (noun)Religious officials who perform ceremonies.≈ Synonym: clergy🇺🇿UZ: ruhoniy🇷🇺RU: священник who aimedaim (verb)Intended or planned to do something.≈ Synonym: intended🇺🇿UZ: maqsad qilmoq🇷🇺RU: стремиться, ставить целью to teach their religion to the people they met.

During this time, some of the most famous explorers in history made their journeys. Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain, crossedcross (verb)Travelled from one side of something to the other.≈ Synonym: traversed🇺🇿UZ: kesib o'tmoq🇷🇺RU: пересекать the Atlantic in 1492 and reached the Americas, though he believed he had found a route to Asia. Vasco da Gama, from Portugal, became the first European to sail around Africa and reach India. Ferdinand Magellan's expeditionexpedition (noun)A journey undertaken for a specific purpose.≈ Synonym: voyage🇺🇿UZ: ekspeditsiya🇷🇺RU: экспедиция, also for Spain, was the first to sail all the way around the world, provingprove (verb)Demonstrating that something is true.≈ Synonym: demonstrating🇺🇿UZ: isbotlamoq🇷🇺RU: доказывать that the Earth was roundround (adj)Shaped like a circle or sphere.≈ Synonym: spherical🇺🇿UZ: yumaloq🇷🇺RU: круглый and that all the oceans were connected.

The Age of Exploration had many positive effects. It led to the exchangeexchange (noun)The act of giving and receiving things mutually.≈ Synonym: swap🇺🇿UZ: almashinuv🇷🇺RU: обмен of plants, animals, and ideas between continentscontinent (noun)Large continuous areas of land, such as Africa or Asia.≈ Synonym: landmasses🇺🇿UZ: qit'a🇷🇺RU: континент. It allowed people to learn more about the world and other cultures. However, it also had negativenegative (adj)Harmful or undesirable in nature.≈ Synonym: harmful🇺🇿UZ: salbiy🇷🇺RU: отрицательный effects. European explorers and settlerssettler (noun)People who settle in a new area or country.≈ Synonym: colonists🇺🇿UZ: ko'chmanchi, yangi yerga ko'chib kelgan🇷🇺RU: поселенец often took land from Indigenous peoplesindigenous peoples (noun)The original inhabitants of a land.≈ Synonym: native peoples🇺🇿UZ: tub xalqlar🇷🇺RU: коренные народы, sometimes through forceforce (noun)Physical power used to make someone do something.≈ Synonym: violence🇺🇿UZ: kuch🇷🇺RU: сила. New diseases were brought to the Americas, which caused great sufferingsuffering (noun)The state of experiencing pain or hardship.≈ Synonym: hardship🇺🇿UZ: azob🇷🇺RU: страдание among nativenative (adj)Belonging to a particular place by birth.≈ Synonym: indigenous🇺🇿UZ: tub, mahalliy; ona (til)🇷🇺RU: коренной; родной populationspopulation (noun)The people living in a particular area.≈ Synonym: inhabitants🇺🇿UZ: aholi🇷🇺RU: население.

The legacylegacy (noun)Something handed down from the past.≈ Synonym: inheritance🇺🇿UZ: meros🇷🇺RU: наследие of the Age of Exploration is complexcomplex (adj)Made up of many interconnected parts; not simple.≈ Synonym: complicated🇺🇿UZ: murakkab🇷🇺RU: сложный. It helped create the world we know today, but it also reminds us of the costscost (noun)Negative consequences of an action.≈ Synonym: prices paid🇺🇿UZ: narx, yo'qotish (ko'chma)🇷🇺RU: цена, издержки of expansionexpansion (noun)The process of becoming larger.≈ Synonym: growth🇺🇿UZ: kengayish🇷🇺RU: расширение and the need to respectrespect (verb)To admire and consider the feelings of others.≈ Synonym: honour🇺🇿UZ: hurmat qilmoq🇷🇺RU: уважать other cultures.

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      Word List — 40 words

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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
      sailornoun
      dengizchiморякThe sailors saw land after three weeks at sea.
      2
      explorernoun
      tadqiqotchi, sayyohисследователь, первооткрывательMarco Polo was a famous explorer.
      3
      discoververb
      kashf qilmoqоткрыватьScientists hope to discover a cure for cancer.
      4
      trade routenoun
      savdo yo'liторговый путьSamarkand was on an important trade route.
      5
      connectionnoun
      aloqa, bog'liqlikсвязьThere's a close connection between diet and health.
      6
      distantadjective
      uzoqотдалённыйThey travelled to distant lands.
      7
      shapeverb
      shakllantirmoqформироватьOur parents shape our values.
      8
      wavenoun
      to'lqin (ko'chma ma'noda ham)волнаA new wave of tourists arrived in the summer.
      9
      desirenoun
      istakжеланиеHe had a strong desire to study abroad.
      10
      wealthnoun
      boylikбогатствоHealth is more important than wealth.
      11
      tradeverb
      savdo qilmoqторговатьUzbekistan trades with China, Russia and Turkey.
      12
      spicenoun
      ziravorспецияCumin is the main spice in plov.
      13
      silknoun
      ipakшёлкMargilan is famous for its silk.
      14
      existingadjective
      mavjudсуществующийWe need to improve the existing roads before building new ones.
      15
      profitableadjective
      foydaliприбыльныйSelling fruit online has become very profitable.
      16
      curiositynoun
      qiziquvchanlikлюбопытствоChildren are full of curiosity.
      17
      adventurenoun
      sarguzashtприключениеTravelling alone was a real adventure.
      18
      experienceverb
      boshdan kechirmoqиспытывать, переживатьMany students experience stress before exams.
      19
      interestnoun
      qiziqishинтересHe showed great interest in history.
      20
      Christianitynoun
      xristianlikхристианствоChristianity is the main religion in Brazil.
      21
      priestnoun
      ruhoniyсвященникThe priest married the couple in a small church.
      22
      aimverb
      maqsad qilmoqстремиться, ставить цельюThe project aims to help poor families.
      23
      crossverb
      kesib o'tmoqпересекатьThey crossed the desert on camels.
      24
      expeditionnoun
      ekspeditsiyaэкспедицияThe expedition to the North Pole took three months.
      25
      proveverb
      isbotlamoqдоказыватьCan you prove it?
      26
      roundadjective
      yumaloqкруглыйThe Earth is round.
      27
      exchangenoun
      almashinuvобменI took part in a student exchange with a Korean school.
      28
      continentnoun
      qit'aконтинентAsia is the largest continent.
      29
      negativeadjective
      salbiyотрицательныйDon't be so negative — it will be fine.
      30
      settlernoun
      ko'chmanchi, yangi yerga ko'chib kelganпоселенецThe first settlers built houses near the river.
      31
      indigenous peoplesnoun
      tub xalqlarкоренные народыIndigenous peoples have lived in the Amazon for thousands of years.
      32
      forcenoun
      kuchсилаThe police used force to stop the fight.
      33
      sufferingnoun
      azobстраданиеThe medicine reduced her suffering.
      34
      nativeadjective
      tub, mahalliy; ona (til)коренной; роднойUzbek is my native language.
      35
      populationnoun
      aholiнаселениеThe population of Tashkent is about three million.
      36
      legacynoun
      merosнаследиеNavoi's poetry is a great legacy for the Uzbek people.
      37
      complexadjective
      murakkabсложныйThe situation is more complex than it seems.
      38
      costnoun
      narx, yo'qotish (ko'chma)цена, издержкиThe war was won, but at a terrible cost.
      39
      expansionnoun
      kengayishрасширениеThe company is planning further expansion in Asia.
      40
      respectverb
      hurmat qilmoqуважатьWe should respect other people's opinions.