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Day 16 · Society & Culture · B2 Level

The Importance of Traditional Music

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 6-7 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

Music has been part of human life for thousands of years. Long before people could read or write, they created music to expressexpress (verb)To communicate a feeling or idea.≈ Synonym: convey🇺🇿UZ: ifodalamoq🇷🇺RU: выражать their feelings, share stories, and bring communitiescommunity (noun)Groups of people living in a particular area.≈ Synonym: populations🇺🇿UZ: jamoa, mahalla🇷🇺RU: сообщество together. Traditional music — the music that belongs to a particular cultureculture (noun)The customs and beliefs of a particular society.≈ Synonym: heritage🇺🇿UZ: madaniyat🇷🇺RU: культура or regionregion (noun)An area of a country or the world.≈ Synonym: area🇺🇿UZ: hudud🇷🇺RU: регион — plays an important rolerole (noun)The function or part played in a situation.≈ Synonym: function🇺🇿UZ: rol, vazifa🇷🇺RU: роль in keeping these connectionsconnection (noun)Links or relationships between things.≈ Synonym: links🇺🇿UZ: aloqa, bog'liqlik🇷🇺RU: связь alive.

Traditional music is often passed downpass down (phrasal verb)Given from one generation to the next.≈ Synonym: handed down🇺🇿UZ: avloddan-avlodga o'tkazmoq🇷🇺RU: передавать (из поколения в поколение) from one generationgeneration (noun)A group of people born around the same time.≈ Synonym: age group🇺🇿UZ: avlod🇷🇺RU: поколение to the next. It may be played at festivals, weddings, or religiousreligious (adj)Relating to religion or belief in a god.≈ Synonym: spiritual🇺🇿UZ: diniy🇷🇺RU: религиозный ceremoniesceremony (noun)Formal events held for a particular occasion.≈ Synonym: rites🇺🇿UZ: marosim🇷🇺RU: церемония, and it often reflectsreflect (verb)Shows or represents something.≈ Synonym: shows🇺🇿UZ: aks ettirmoq🇷🇺RU: отражать the history, beliefsbelief (noun)Things accepted as true.≈ Synonym: convictions🇺🇿UZ: e'tiqod, ishonch🇷🇺RU: убеждение, вера, and valuesvalue (noun)Principles or standards of behaviour.≈ Synonym: principles🇺🇿UZ: qadriyat🇷🇺RU: ценность of the people who create it. For example, folk songsfolk song (noun)Traditional songs passed down within a culture.≈ Synonym: traditional songs🇺🇿UZ: xalq qo'shig'i🇷🇺RU: народная песня might tell stories about love, war, or daily life. In many African countries, drummingdrumming (noun)The playing of drums.≈ Synonym: percussion playing🇺🇿UZ: nog'ora chalish🇷🇺RU: игра на барабанах is not only a form of art but also a way to send messagesmessage (noun)Pieces of information communicated to someone.≈ Synonym: communications🇺🇿UZ: xabar, mazmun🇷🇺RU: сообщение, послание or bring people together for important events.

One of the key reasons traditional music is important is that it helps protect cultural identitycultural identity (noun)A sense of belonging to a particular culture.≈ Synonym: sense of heritage🇺🇿UZ: madaniy o'ziga xoslik🇷🇺RU: культурная идентичность. In a world where modern pop music is heard everywhere, traditional music remindsremind (verb)Makes someone remember something.≈ Synonym: prompts🇺🇿UZ: eslatmoq🇷🇺RU: напоминать people of where they come from. It gives them a sense of belongingbelonging (noun)A feeling of being accepted as part of a group.≈ Synonym: acceptance🇺🇿UZ: daxldorlik, birlik hissi🇷🇺RU: чувство принадлежности and pridepride (noun)A feeling of satisfaction from achievements or qualities.≈ Synonym: satisfaction🇺🇿UZ: faxr🇷🇺RU: гордость in their culture. For example, in Ireland, traditional Irish music, with its fast rhythmsrhythm (noun)Regular repeated patterns of sound in music.≈ Synonym: beats🇺🇿UZ: ritm🇷🇺RU: ритм and use of instrumentsinstrument (noun)Devices used to produce music.≈ Synonym: musical devices🇺🇿UZ: cholg'u asbobi🇷🇺RU: музыкальный инструмент like the fiddle and tin whistle, remains a source of nationalnational (adj)Relating to a whole nation.≈ Synonym: countrywide🇺🇿UZ: milliy🇷🇺RU: национальный pride.

Traditional music also teaches us about the past. Through songs and rhythms, we can learn about historicalhistorical (adj)Relating to history or the past.≈ Synonym: historic🇺🇿UZ: tarixiy🇷🇺RU: исторический events, old customscustom (noun)Traditional ways of behaving in a society.≈ Synonym: traditions🇺🇿UZ: urf-odat🇷🇺RU: обычай, and ways of life that might otherwise be forgottenforgotten (adj)No longer remembered.≈ Synonym: unremembered🇺🇿UZ: unutilgan🇷🇺RU: забытый. This is especially important in places where written history is limitedlimited (adj)Restricted in amount or extent.≈ Synonym: restricted🇺🇿UZ: cheklangan🇷🇺RU: ограниченный.

In addition, traditional music can help bring people together, even across cultures. When people share their music with others, they build understandingunderstanding (noun)A sympathetic awareness of others' feelings.≈ Synonym: comprehension🇺🇿UZ: tushunish🇷🇺RU: понимание and respectrespect (noun)Admiration and consideration for others.≈ Synonym: regard🇺🇿UZ: hurmat🇷🇺RU: уважение. Today, musiciansmusician (noun)People who play musical instruments.≈ Synonym: performers🇺🇿UZ: musiqachi, sozanda🇷🇺RU: музыкант often mix traditional music with modern styles, creating new sounds that appealappeal (to) (verb)To be attractive or interesting to someone.≈ Synonym: attract🇺🇿UZ: yoqmoq, jalb qilmoq🇷🇺RU: привлекать, нравиться to wider audiencesaudience (noun)Groups of people watching or listening to something.≈ Synonym: listeners🇺🇿UZ: tomoshabinlar, tinglovchilar🇷🇺RU: аудитория, зрители while keeping the old traditions alive.

However, traditional music faces challengeschallenge (noun)Difficult tasks or situations.≈ Synonym: difficulties🇺🇿UZ: qiyinchilik🇷🇺RU: трудность. As global culture spreads, youngeryoung (adj)In an earlier period of life; not old.≈ Synonym: youthful🇺🇿UZ: yosh🇷🇺RU: молодой generations may lose interest in learning or performingperform (verb)Playing music or acting in front of others.≈ Synonym: playing🇺🇿UZ: ijro etmoq🇷🇺RU: исполнять, выступать traditional songs. Some types of music are at risk of disappearingdisappear (verb)Ceasing to exist or be seen.≈ Synonym: vanishing🇺🇿UZ: yo'qolmoq🇷🇺RU: исчезать completely if they are not recordedrecord (verb)Preserved sound or images for future use.≈ Synonym: documented🇺🇿UZ: yozib olmoq🇷🇺RU: записывать or taught to new musicians.

In conclusion, traditional music is more than entertainmententertainment (noun)Activities providing amusement or enjoyment.≈ Synonym: amusement🇺🇿UZ: ko'ngilochar narsa🇷🇺RU: развлечение. It is a way of keeping cultures alive, teaching history, and bringing people together. By supportingsupport (verb)Giving assistance or encouragement to something.≈ Synonym: backing🇺🇿UZ: qo'llab-quvvatlamoq🇷🇺RU: поддерживать traditional music, we help protect the rich varietyvariety (noun)A range of different things.≈ Synonym: diversity🇺🇿UZ: xilma-xillik🇷🇺RU: разнообразие of human life.

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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
      expressverb
      ifodalamoqвыражатьIt's hard to express my feelings in English.
      2
      communitynoun
      jamoa, mahallaсообществоWeddings bring the whole community together.
      3
      culturenoun
      madaniyatкультураFood is an important part of every culture.
      4
      regionnoun
      hududрегионEach region of Uzbekistan has its own kind of plov.
      5
      rolenoun
      rol, vazifaрольMusic plays a big role in my life.
      6
      connectionnoun
      aloqa, bog'liqlikсвязьShe has strong connections with her home town.
      7
      pass downphrasal verb
      avloddan-avlodga o'tkazmoqпередавать (из поколения в поколение)This recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother.
      8
      generationnoun
      avlodпоколениеThe younger generation spends more time online.
      9
      religiousadjective
      diniyрелигиозныйThey celebrate many religious holidays.
      10
      ceremonynoun
      marosimцеремонияThe wedding ceremony lasted two hours.
      11
      reflectverb
      aks ettirmoqотражатьHer writing reflects her love of nature.
      12
      beliefnoun
      e'tiqod, ishonchубеждение, вераWe should respect other people's beliefs.
      13
      valuenoun
      qadriyatценностьFamily is one of our most important values.
      14
      folk songnoun
      xalq qo'shig'iнародная песняMy grandmother sings old folk songs while she cooks.
      15
      drummingnoun
      nog'ora chalishигра на барабанахWe could hear drumming from the wedding next door.
      16
      messagenoun
      xabar, mazmunсообщение, посланиеThe film has an important message about friendship.
      17
      cultural identitynoun
      madaniy o'ziga xoslikкультурная идентичностьLanguage is a key part of cultural identity.
      18
      remindverb
      eslatmoqнапоминатьThis song reminds me of my childhood.
      19
      belongingnoun
      daxldorlik, birlik hissiчувство принадлежностиSports teams give children a sense of belonging.
      20
      pridenoun
      faxrгордостьShe spoke about her country with pride.
      21
      rhythmnoun
      ritmритмI love the fast rhythm of this song.
      22
      instrumentnoun
      cholg'u asbobiмузыкальный инструментThe dutar is a traditional Uzbek instrument.
      23
      nationaladjective
      milliyнациональныйPlov is our national dish.
      24
      historicaladjective
      tarixiyисторическийKhiva is full of historical buildings.
      25
      customnoun
      urf-odatобычайEvery country has its own wedding customs.
      26
      forgottenadjective
      unutilganзабытыйMany old games are now forgotten.
      27
      limitedadjective
      cheklanganограниченныйParking is very limited in the city centre.
      28
      understandingnoun
      tushunishпониманиеTravel gives you a better understanding of the world.
      29
      respectnoun
      hurmatуважениеShow respect to your elders.
      30
      musiciannoun
      musiqachi, sozandaмузыкантStreet musicians play in the park every evening.
      31
      appeal (to)verb
      yoqmoq, jalb qilmoqпривлекать, нравитьсяThis kind of music doesn't appeal to me.
      32
      audiencenoun
      tomoshabinlar, tinglovchilarаудитория, зрителиThe audience clapped for five minutes.
      33
      challengenoun
      qiyinchilikтрудностьSmall businesses face many challenges.
      34
      youngadjective
      yoshмолодойMy younger brother is still at school.
      35
      performverb
      ijro etmoqисполнять, выступатьThe band will perform at the festival tonight.
      36
      disappearverb
      yo'qolmoqисчезатьOld crafts are slowly disappearing.
      37
      recordverb
      yozib olmoqзаписыватьWe recorded my grandfather telling old stories.
      38
      entertainmentnoun
      ko'ngilochar narsaразвлечениеTelevision is the main form of entertainment for many families.
      39
      supportverb
      qo'llab-quvvatlamoqподдерживатьBuying local products supports small farmers.
      40
      varietynoun
      xilma-xillikразнообразиеThe menu offers a good variety of dishes.