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Day 25 · Environment & Planet · B2 Level

Plastic in the Ocean: A Growing Problem

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 8-9 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

Plastic pollution has become one of the greatest threatsthreat (noun)Things likely to cause harm or danger.≈ Synonym: dangers🇺🇿UZ: xavf, tahdid🇷🇺RU: угроза to our oceans. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste end up in the sea, harmingharm (verb)Causing damage or injury.≈ Synonym: damaging🇺🇿UZ: zarar yetkazmoq🇷🇺RU: вредить marine lifemarine life (noun)Animals and plants living in the sea.≈ Synonym: sea life🇺🇿UZ: dengiz hayoti🇷🇺RU: морская жизнь and damagingdamage (verb)Causing harm to something.≈ Synonym: harming🇺🇿UZ: shikastlamoq, zarar yetkazmoq🇷🇺RU: повреждать delicatedelicate (adj)Easily damaged; fragile.≈ Synonym: fragile🇺🇿UZ: nozik🇷🇺RU: хрупкий ecosystemsecosystem (noun)Communities of living things and their environment.≈ Synonym: biological systems🇺🇿UZ: ekotizim🇷🇺RU: экосистема. The problem is growing, but with global effort, it is possible to make a change.

One reason plastic is such a serious problem is that it does not break downbreak down (phrasal verb)To decompose into simpler parts naturally.≈ Synonym: decompose🇺🇿UZ: parchalanmoq🇷🇺RU: разлагаться easily. Unlike paper or food waste, plastic can take hundreds of years to decomposedecompose (verb)To break down naturally over time.≈ Synonym: break down🇺🇿UZ: chirimoq🇷🇺RU: разлагаться. Instead of disappearingdisappear (verb)Ceasing to exist or be seen.≈ Synonym: vanishing🇺🇿UZ: yo'qolmoq🇷🇺RU: исчезать, it breaks into smaller and smaller pieces called microplasticsmicroplastic (noun)Tiny pieces of plastic pollution less than 5mm long.≈ Synonym: plastic particles🇺🇿UZ: mikroplastik🇷🇺RU: микропластик. These tiny pieces can spreadspread (verb)To become distributed over a wide area.≈ Synonym: disperse🇺🇿UZ: tarqalmoq🇷🇺RU: распространяться through the water, making their way into the bodies of fish, seabirdsseabird (noun)Birds that live near or feed from the sea.≈ Synonym: sea birds🇺🇿UZ: dengiz qushi🇷🇺RU: морская птица, and other animals.

How does plastic get into the ocean? Much of it comes from the land. Plastic bags, bottles, food packagingpackaging (noun)Materials used to wrap or contain products.≈ Synonym: wrapping🇺🇿UZ: qadoqlash🇷🇺RU: упаковка, and other waste are often left as litterlitter (noun)Rubbish left in a public place.≈ Synonym: rubbish🇺🇿UZ: axlat🇷🇺RU: мусор or end up in rivers, which carry them to the sea. Fishing netsfishing net (noun)Nets used to catch fish.≈ Synonym: nets🇺🇿UZ: baliq ovlash to'ri🇷🇺RU: рыболовная сеть, ropes, and other equipmentequipment (noun)Items needed for a particular purpose.≈ Synonym: gear🇺🇿UZ: jihozlar🇷🇺RU: оборудование lost or thrown away by fishing boats also add to the problem. In some places, poor waste managementwaste management (noun)The handling and disposal of waste.≈ Synonym: rubbish handling🇺🇿UZ: chiqindilarni boshqarish🇷🇺RU: управление отходами systems mean that rubbish is not collected or treatedtreat (verb)Processed using a chemical or other agent.≈ Synonym: processed🇺🇿UZ: qayta ishlamoq, tozalamoq🇷🇺RU: обрабатывать, очищать properly and washeswash (verb)Carries or flows into a place.≈ Synonym: flows🇺🇿UZ: (suv bilan) oqib ketmoq🇷🇺RU: смывать(ся) into the ocean during storms.

The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is shockingshocking (adj)Causing a feeling of surprise and disgust.≈ Synonym: alarming🇺🇿UZ: hayratlanarli (dahshatli)🇷🇺RU: шокирующий. Sea turtles may mistakemistake (verb)To wrongly identify one thing as another.≈ Synonym: confuse🇺🇿UZ: (...ni ...deb) adashtirmoq🇷🇺RU: принимать (за кого-то/что-то) plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them, which can blockblock (verb)To obstruct or prevent movement through something.≈ Synonym: obstruct🇺🇿UZ: to'smoq, bekitmoq🇷🇺RU: блокировать, закупоривать their stomachs and cause death. Birds like albatrossesalbatross (noun)Large seabirds with long wings.≈ Synonym: large seabirds🇺🇿UZ: albatros (dengiz qushi)🇷🇺RU: альбатрос often feed pieces of plastic to their chicks without realisingrealise (verb)Becoming aware of something.≈ Synonym: understanding🇺🇿UZ: anglamoq🇷🇺RU: осознавать it. Fish and shellfishshellfish (noun)Sea creatures with a shell, such as crabs or mussels.≈ Synonym: crustaceans🇺🇿UZ: qisqichbaqasimonlar🇷🇺RU: моллюски can swallowswallow (verb)To make something pass down the throat.≈ Synonym: ingest🇺🇿UZ: yutmoq🇷🇺RU: проглатывать microplastics, and these may then enter the human food chainfood chain (noun)The series of living things linked by what they eat.≈ Synonym: ecosystem chain🇺🇿UZ: oziq-ovqat zanjiri🇷🇺RU: пищевая цепь when people eat seafood.

In addition to harming animals, plastic pollution damages coral reefscoral reef (noun)Underwater structures made of coral, rich in wildlife.≈ Synonym: coral formations🇺🇿UZ: marjon rifi🇷🇺RU: коралловый риф and beaches, and it affects the fishing and tourism industriesindustry (noun)Branches of economic activity.≈ Synonym: sectors🇺🇿UZ: sanoat, soha🇷🇺RU: отрасль that depend ondepend on (verb)To rely on something for support or existence.≈ Synonym: rely on🇺🇿UZ: bog'liq bo'lmoq🇷🇺RU: зависеть от healthy seas.

So, what can be done to stop this growing problem? One important step is to reduce the use of single-usesingle-use (adj)Designed to be used only once.≈ Synonym: disposable🇺🇿UZ: bir martalik🇷🇺RU: одноразовый plastics — things like plastic strawsstraw (noun)Thin tubes used for drinking.≈ Synonym: drinking tubes🇺🇿UZ: ichimlik trubkasi🇷🇺RU: трубочка (для напитков), bags, and packaging that are used once and thrown away. Many countries have introducedintroduce (verb)Brought in a new law or system.≈ Synonym: brought in🇺🇿UZ: joriy etmoq🇷🇺RU: вводить bansban (noun)Official rules forbidding something.≈ Synonym: prohibitions🇺🇿UZ: taqiq🇷🇺RU: запрет or taxestax (noun)Money paid to the government.≈ Synonym: levies🇺🇿UZ: soliq🇷🇺RU: налог on plastic bags, and some companies are finding new ways to package products using paper or other materials.

Recyclingrecycling (noun)The process of converting waste into reusable material.≈ Synonym: reprocessing🇺🇿UZ: qayta ishlash🇷🇺RU: переработка is another key solution, although it is not enough on its own. We need better waste management systems, especially in developingdeveloping (adj)Relating to a country with a growing economy.≈ Synonym: emerging🇺🇿UZ: rivojlanayotgan🇷🇺RU: развивающийся countries, so that rubbish is collected and treated properly. Cleaning up plastic that is already in the ocean is also important, but it is a difficult and expensive task.

Perhaps most important is raising awarenessraise awareness (phr)To help more people know about an issue.≈ Synonym: spreading awareness🇺🇿UZ: xabardorlikni oshirmoq🇷🇺RU: повышать осведомлённость. When people understand how serious the problem is, they are more likely to change their habitshabit (noun)Regular practices or customs.≈ Synonym: routines🇺🇿UZ: odat🇷🇺RU: привычка and support action to protect the oceans.

In conclusion, plastic pollution is a growing problem, but by working together, we can reduce the harm it causes and help keep our oceans clean for future generationsfuture generations (noun)People who will be born and live in the future.≈ Synonym: descendants🇺🇿UZ: kelajak avlodlari🇷🇺RU: будущие поколения.

✍ Summarize the Story

In your own words, write a short summary of what you just read (90–120+ words). Don't copy sentences — explain the main ideas.

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      Check Your Understanding — True / False

      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
      threatnoun
      xavf, tahdidугрозаPlastic is a major threat to sea life.
      2
      harmverb
      zarar yetkazmoqвредитьThese chemicals are harming the river.
      3
      marine lifenoun
      dengiz hayotiморская жизньOil spills kill marine life.
      4
      damageverb
      shikastlamoq, zarar yetkazmoqповреждатьToo much sun can damage your skin.
      5
      delicateadjective
      nozikхрупкийCoral is very delicate.
      6
      ecosystemnoun
      ekotizimэкосистемаWetlands are important ecosystems.
      7
      break downphrasal verb
      parchalanmoqразлагатьсяGlass takes thousands of years to break down.
      8
      decomposeverb
      chirimoqразлагатьсяLeaves decompose quickly in wet weather.
      9
      disappearverb
      yo'qolmoqисчезатьThe old traditions are slowly disappearing.
      10
      microplasticnoun
      mikroplastikмикропластикMicroplastics have been found in human blood.
      11
      spreadverb
      tarqalmoqраспространятьсяThe fire spread to the next building.
      12
      seabirdnoun
      dengiz qushiморская птицаSeabirds nest on the cliffs.
      13
      packagingnoun
      qadoqlashупаковкаSupermarkets are using less plastic packaging.
      14
      litternoun
      axlatмусорDon't drop litter in the street.
      15
      fishing netnoun
      baliq ovlash to'riрыболовная сетьA dolphin was caught in a fishing net.
      16
      equipmentnoun
      jihozlarоборудованиеThe school bought new sports equipment.
      17
      waste managementnoun
      chiqindilarni boshqarishуправление отходамиGood waste management keeps the streets clean.
      18
      treatverb
      qayta ishlamoq, tozalamoqобрабатывать, очищатьDirty water must be treated before it goes back into the river.
      19
      washverb
      (suv bilan) oqib ketmoqсмывать(ся)Rain washes rubbish from the streets into the river.
      20
      shockingadjective
      hayratlanarli (dahshatli)шокирующийThe news was shocking.
      21
      mistakeverb
      (...ni ...deb) adashtirmoqпринимать (за кого-то/что-то)Birds often mistake plastic for food.
      22
      blockverb
      to'smoq, bekitmoqблокировать, закупориватьA fallen tree blocked the road.
      23
      albatrossnoun
      albatros (dengiz qushi)альбатросAn albatross can fly for hours without moving its wings.
      24
      realiseverb
      anglamoqосознаватьI didn't realise how late it was.
      25
      shellfishnoun
      qisqichbaqasimonlarмоллюскиSome people are allergic to shellfish.
      26
      swallowverb
      yutmoqпроглатыватьThis tablet is hard to swallow.
      27
      food chainnoun
      oziq-ovqat zanjiriпищевая цепьHumans are at the top of the food chain.
      28
      coral reefnoun
      marjon rifiкоралловый рифDivers love to explore coral reefs.
      29
      industrynoun
      sanoat, sohaотрасльThe fishing industry employs thousands of people.
      30
      depend onverb
      bog'liq bo'lmoqзависеть отMany families depend on farming for their income.
      31
      single-useadjective
      bir martalikодноразовыйTry to avoid single-use plastic bottles.
      32
      strawnoun
      ichimlik trubkasiтрубочка (для напитков)Many cafés now use paper straws.
      33
      introduceverb
      joriy etmoqвводитьThe city introduced a ban on plastic bags.
      34
      bannoun
      taqiqзапретThere is a ban on smoking in restaurants.
      35
      taxnoun
      soliqналогThere is a high tax on cigarettes.
      36
      recyclingnoun
      qayta ishlashпереработкаRecycling paper saves trees.
      37
      developingadjective
      rivojlanayotganразвивающийсяMany developing countries need better roads.
      38
      raise awarenessphrase
      xabardorlikni oshirmoqповышать осведомлённостьThe campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking.
      39
      habitnoun
      odatпривычкаReading before bed is a good habit.
      40
      future generationsnoun
      kelajak avlodlariбудущие поколенияWe must leave a clean planet for future generations.