Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
Coral reefsreef (noun)Ridges of rock or coral near the ocean surface.≈ Synonym: coral formations🇺🇿UZ: riflar🇷🇺RU: рифы are often called the rainforestsrainforest (noun)Dense forests found in wet tropical regions.≈ Synonym: tropical forests🇺🇿UZ: yomg'ir o'rmonlari🇷🇺RU: тропические леса of the sea, and for good reasonreason (noun)A cause or explanation for something.≈ Synonym: cause🇺🇿UZ: sabab🇷🇺RU: причина. Although they cover less than one percent of the oceanocean (noun)A very large expanse of sea.≈ Synonym: sea🇺🇿UZ: okean🇷🇺RU: океан floor, they provide a home for roughly a quarter of all known marinemarine (adj)Relating to the sea.≈ Synonym: oceanic🇺🇿UZ: dengizga oid🇷🇺RU: морской species. These colourful structuresstructure (noun)Things built or naturally formed with a definite shape.≈ Synonym: formations🇺🇿UZ: tuzilmalar🇷🇺RU: структуры are built over thousands of years by tiny organismsorganism (noun)Individual living things.≈ Synonym: living beings🇺🇿UZ: organizmlar🇷🇺RU: организмы called coral polypscoral polyp (noun)The tiny animals that build coral reefs.≈ Synonym: coral animals🇺🇿UZ: marjon polipilari🇷🇺RU: коралловые полипы, which form hard skeletons that gradually build up into vast reef systems.
Coral gets its bright colours from tiny algaealgae (noun)Simple plant-like organisms, often living in water.≈ Synonym: seaweed🇺🇿UZ: suvo'tlar🇷🇺RU: водоросли that live inside its tissuetissue (noun)A group of similar cells forming part of a body.≈ Synonym: body material🇺🇿UZ: to'qima🇷🇺RU: ткань in a relationshiprelationship (noun)The way two things are connected or interact.≈ Synonym: connection🇺🇿UZ: munosabat🇷🇺RU: взаимоотношение that benefits both sides: the coral provides the algae with sheltershelter (noun)A place giving protection.≈ Synonym: protection🇺🇿UZ: boshpana🇷🇺RU: укрытие, while the algae produce nutrientsnutrient (noun)Substances that provide nourishment for growth.≈ Synonym: nourishment🇺🇿UZ: ozuqa moddalari🇷🇺RU: питательные вещества through photosynthesisphotosynthesis (noun)The process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.≈ Synonym: light-to-energy conversion🇺🇿UZ: fotosintez🇷🇺RU: фотосинтез that help the coral survive. This close partnershippartnership (noun)A relationship where parties work together for mutual benefit.≈ Synonym: cooperation🇺🇿UZ: hamkorlik🇷🇺RU: партнёрство is remarkably sensitivesensitive (adj)Easily affected or disturbed by something.≈ Synonym: delicate🇺🇿UZ: sezgir🇷🇺RU: чувствительный to changes in the surrounding environment, particularly water temperaturetemperature (noun)The degree of heat of something.≈ Synonym: heat level🇺🇿UZ: harorat🇷🇺RU: температура.
When ocean water becomes too warm, even by just one or two degrees, coral becomes stressedstressed (adj)Under physical or mental strain.≈ Synonym: under strain🇺🇿UZ: stress ostida🇷🇺RU: испытывающий стресс and expels the algae living inside it. Without the algae, the coral loses its colour and turns pale white, a process known as coral bleachingbleaching (noun)The process of coral losing its colour and algae.≈ Synonym: coral whitening🇺🇿UZ: oqarish🇷🇺RU: обесцвечивание. Bleached coral is not immediately dead, but it is severely weakened and much more vulnerablevulnerable (adj)Easily harmed or affected.≈ Synonym: exposed🇺🇿UZ: himoyasiz🇷🇺RU: уязвимый to disease and death if warm conditions continue for too long.
In recent decadesdecade (noun)Periods of ten years.≈ Synonym: ten-year periods🇺🇿UZ: o'n yilliklar🇷🇺RU: десятилетия, rising ocean temperatures linked to climate change have caused widespreadwidespread (adj)Found or distributed over a large area.≈ Synonym: extensive🇺🇿UZ: keng tarqalgan🇷🇺RU: широко распространённый bleaching events around the world, including severe damage to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Other threats, such as ocean acidificationacidification (noun)The process of becoming more acidic.≈ Synonym: increasing acidity🇺🇿UZ: kislotalashuv🇷🇺RU: закисление, overfishingoverfishing (noun)Catching fish faster than populations can recover.≈ Synonym: excessive fishing🇺🇿UZ: haddan tashqari baliq ovlash🇷🇺RU: перелов рыбы, and pollution from coastal development, add further pressurepressure (noun)A strain or force placed on something.≈ Synonym: strain🇺🇿UZ: bosim🇷🇺RU: давление on already fragilefragile (adj)Easily broken or damaged.≈ Synonym: delicate🇺🇿UZ: mo'rt🇷🇺RU: хрупкий reef ecosystems.
Protecting coral reefs matters far beyond their beauty. Reefs protect coastlines from storms, support fishing industries that millionsmillion (noun)The number 1,000,000.≈ Synonym: 1,000,000🇺🇿UZ: millionlab🇷🇺RU: миллионы of people depend on, and hold potentialpotential (adj)Possible, but not yet realised.≈ Synonym: possible🇺🇿UZ: potensial🇷🇺RU: потенциальный value for medical research. Scientists are now experimenting with methods such as growing heat-resistantheat-resistant (adj)Able to withstand high temperatures without damage.≈ Synonym: heat-tolerant🇺🇿UZ: issiqlikka chidamli🇷🇺RU: жаростойкий coral in laboratories, but most agree that reducingreduce (verb)Making something smaller in amount.≈ Synonym: decreasing🇺🇿UZ: kamaytirish🇷🇺RU: сокращение global carbon emissions remains the most important step in giving coral reefs a chance to survive.