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Day 34 · History & Civilisation · B2 Level

The History of the Modern Olympic Games

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 5-6 minutes 📖 Reading + Vocabulary ✅ 10 True / False questions
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Reading Passage

The Olympic Games tracetrace (verb)To find the origin of something.≈ Synonym: track🇺🇿UZ: kelib chiqishini aniqlamoq🇷🇺RU: прослеживать their originsorigin (noun)The point where something begins.≈ Synonym: beginnings🇺🇿UZ: kelib chiqish🇷🇺RU: происхождение, истоки back to ancientancient (adj)Belonging to a period long ago in history.≈ Synonym: age-old🇺🇿UZ: qadimiy🇷🇺RU: древний Greece, where athleticathletic (adj)Relating to physical sports and exercise.≈ Synonym: sporting🇺🇿UZ: sportga oid, atletik🇷🇺RU: спортивный, атлетический competitionscompetition (noun)Events where people compete to win.≈ Synonym: contests🇺🇿UZ: musobaqa🇷🇺RU: соревнование were held in the city of Olympia every four years, starting around 776 BCE. These ancient games continued for centuriescentury (noun)Periods of one hundred years.≈ Synonym: hundred-year periods🇺🇿UZ: asr🇷🇺RU: век before eventuallyeventually (adv)In the end, after a long time.≈ Synonym: finally🇺🇿UZ: oxir-oqibat🇷🇺RU: в конечном итоге being bannedban (verb)Officially forbidden.≈ Synonym: prohibited🇺🇿UZ: taqiqlamoq🇷🇺RU: запрещать in 393 CE by a Roman emperor who considered them a paganpagan (adj)Relating to old religions worshipping many gods.≈ Synonym: polytheistic🇺🇿UZ: butparastlikka oid🇷🇺RU: языческий tradition.

For more than 1,500 years, nothing similar existed on such a scale. That changed in the late 19th century, largelylargely (adv)Mostly; mainly.≈ Synonym: mainly🇺🇿UZ: asosan🇷🇺RU: в основном, во многом thanks to a French educatoreducator (noun)A person who teaches or works in education.≈ Synonym: teacher🇺🇿UZ: pedagog, ta'limchi🇷🇺RU: педагог named Pierre de Coubertin. Inspired by the ancient Greek games and believing that internationalinternational (adj)Involving more than one country.≈ Synonym: global🇺🇿UZ: xalqaro🇷🇺RU: международный sport could help promotepromote (verb)To support or actively encourage something.≈ Synonym: encourage🇺🇿UZ: rivojlantirmoq, targ'ib qilmoq🇷🇺RU: продвигать, способствовать peacepeace (noun)Freedom from war or conflict.≈ Synonym: harmony🇺🇿UZ: tinchlik🇷🇺RU: мир and understandingunderstanding (noun)A sympathetic awareness between people.≈ Synonym: mutual respect🇺🇿UZ: o'zaro tushunish🇷🇺RU: взаимопонимание between nationsnation (noun)Countries considered as political communities.≈ Synonym: countries🇺🇿UZ: davlat, xalq🇷🇺RU: нация, страна, he worked to reviverevive (verb)To bring something back into use.≈ Synonym: restore🇺🇿UZ: qayta tiklamoq, jonlantirmoq🇷🇺RU: возрождать the tradition in a modern form.

The first modernmodern (adj)Relating to the present or recent times.≈ Synonym: contemporary🇺🇿UZ: zamonaviy🇷🇺RU: современный Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896, bringing together athletesathlete (noun)People who compete in physical sports.≈ Synonym: sportspeople🇺🇿UZ: sportchi🇷🇺RU: спортсмен from just 14 countries to competecompete (verb)To try to win against others.≈ Synonym: contend🇺🇿UZ: musobaqalashmoq🇷🇺RU: соревноваться in 43 events. Compared to today's games, this first eventevent (noun)A planned public or social occasion.≈ Synonym: occasion🇺🇿UZ: tadbir🇷🇺RU: событие was relativelyrelatively (adverb)To a moderate degree, compared with something else.≈ Synonym: comparatively🇺🇿UZ: nisbatan🇷🇺RU: относительно small, but it establishedestablish (verb)Set up something on a firm basis.≈ Synonym: founded🇺🇿UZ: o'rnatmoq, yo'lga qo'ymoq🇷🇺RU: устанавливать, основывать a traditiontradition (noun)A custom passed down through generations.≈ Synonym: custom🇺🇿UZ: an'ana🇷🇺RU: традиция that would grow enormouslyenormously (adverb)To a very great degree.≈ Synonym: hugely🇺🇿UZ: nihoyatda, juda katta darajada🇷🇺RU: чрезвычайно, огромно over the following century. The Winter Olympics were later added in 1924, featuringfeature (verb)To include something as an important part.≈ Synonym: include🇺🇿UZ: o'z ichiga olmoq, namoyish etmoq🇷🇺RU: включать, показывать sports played on snow and ice.

Over time, the Olympics have grown into one of the largestlarge (adj)Biggest in size or extent.≈ Synonym: biggest🇺🇿UZ: katta🇷🇺RU: крупный, большой and most watchedwatched (adj)Viewed by an audience.≈ Synonym: viewed🇺🇿UZ: ko'p tomosha qilinadigan🇷🇺RU: просматриваемый sporting events in the world, now including thousandsthousand (noun)The number 1,000, used in large quantities.≈ Synonym: many hundreds🇺🇿UZ: ming; minglab🇷🇺RU: тысяча; тысячи of athletes representingrepresent (verb)Acting or speaking on behalf of a group.≈ Synonym: standing for🇺🇿UZ: vakil bo'lmoq🇷🇺RU: представлять more than 200 countries. The games have also survived major disruptionsdisruption (noun)Interruptions to a normal process.≈ Synonym: interruptions🇺🇿UZ: uzilish, izdan chiqish🇷🇺RU: срыв, нарушение, including cancellationscancellation (noun)When something planned is stopped.🇺🇿UZ: bekor qilinish🇷🇺RU: отмена during both World Wars and, more recently, a postponementpostponement (noun)Moving an event to a later time.≈ Synonym: delay🇺🇿UZ: kechiktirish, keyinga qoldirish🇷🇺RU: перенос, отсрочка due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond sport, the Olympics have often become a stage for important social and politicalpolitical (adj)Relating to government and public affairs.≈ Synonym: governmental🇺🇿UZ: siyosiy🇷🇺RU: политический moments, from symbolicsymbolic (adj)Representing an important idea.🇺🇿UZ: ramziy🇷🇺RU: символический protestsprotest (noun)Public expressions of disagreement.≈ Synonym: demonstrations🇺🇿UZ: norozilik🇷🇺RU: протест to historic achievementsachievement (noun)Things accomplished successfully.≈ Synonym: accomplishments🇺🇿UZ: yutuq🇷🇺RU: достижение that changed how the world viewed certain athletes or nations. Despite ongoing debates about the enormous costcost (noun)The amount of money required for something.≈ Synonym: expense🇺🇿UZ: xarajat🇷🇺RU: стоимость of hosting the games, the Olympic spiritspirit (noun)The essential character or attitude behind something.≈ Synonym: ethos🇺🇿UZ: ruh🇷🇺RU: дух of international competition and unityunity (noun)Being joined together; agreement.≈ Synonym: togetherness🇺🇿UZ: birlik🇷🇺RU: единство, first imagined by Coubertin, continues to attract billions of viewers every two years.

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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
      traceverb
      kelib chiqishini aniqlamoqпрослеживатьWe can trace our family back to the 18th century.
      2
      originnoun
      kelib chiqishпроисхождение, истокиThe origins of chess are in India.
      3
      ancientadjective
      qadimiyдревнийKhiva's ancient walls are still standing.
      4
      athleticadjective
      sportga oid, atletikспортивный, атлетическийHe has an athletic body because he swims every day.
      5
      competitionnoun
      musobaqaсоревнованиеShe won a national singing competition.
      6
      centurynoun
      asrвекThe tradition goes back many centuries.
      7
      eventuallyadverb
      oxir-oqibatв конечном итогеHe eventually found a job in Tashkent.
      8
      banverb
      taqiqlamoqзапрещатьSmoking is banned in all public buildings.
      9
      paganadjective
      butparastlikka oidязыческийSome winter festivals have pagan origins.
      10
      largelyadverb
      asosanв основном, во многомThe success was largely thanks to her hard work.
      11
      educatornoun
      pedagog, ta'limchiпедагогMy mother is an experienced educator.
      12
      internationaladjective
      xalqaroмеждународныйTashkent hosts many international conferences.
      13
      promoteverb
      rivojlantirmoq, targ'ib qilmoqпродвигать, способствоватьSport can promote friendship between countries.
      14
      peacenoun
      tinchlikмирEveryone wants to live in peace.
      15
      understandingnoun
      o'zaro tushunishвзаимопониманиеTravel helps build understanding between cultures.
      16
      nationnoun
      davlat, xalqнация, странаMore than 200 nations took part in the Games.
      17
      reviveverb
      qayta tiklamoq, jonlantirmoqвозрождатьThe village is trying to revive its old crafts.
      18
      modernadjective
      zamonaviyсовременныйThis is a modern version of an old song.
      19
      athletenoun
      sportchiспортсменUzbek athletes won several medals.
      20
      competeverb
      musobaqalashmoqсоревноватьсяOver 50 teams will compete in the tournament.
      21
      eventnoun
      tadbirсобытиеThe marathon is the main event of the weekend.
      22
      relativelyadverb
      nisbatanотносительноThe test was relatively easy.
      23
      establishverb
      o'rnatmoq, yo'lga qo'ymoqустанавливать, основыватьThe festival established a new tradition in the city.
      24
      traditionnoun
      an'anaтрадицияIt's a family tradition to eat plov on Thursdays.
      25
      enormouslyadverb
      nihoyatda, juda katta darajadaчрезвычайно, огромноThe city has grown enormously in the last 20 years.
      26
      featureverb
      o'z ichiga olmoq, namoyish etmoqвключать, показыватьThe festival features music from all over Asia.
      27
      largeadjective
      kattaкрупный, большойTashkent is the largest city in Central Asia.
      28
      watchedadjective
      ko'p tomosha qilinadiganпросматриваемыйThe World Cup final is the most watched sports event.
      29
      thousandnoun
      ming; minglabтысяча; тысячиThousands of people came to the concert.
      30
      representverb
      vakil bo'lmoqпредставлятьShe will represent Uzbekistan at the Olympics.
      31
      disruptionnoun
      uzilish, izdan chiqishсрыв, нарушениеThe snow caused disruption to flights.
      32
      cancellationnoun
      bekor qilinishотменаHeavy snow caused many flight cancellations.
      33
      postponementnoun
      kechiktirish, keyinga qoldirishперенос, отсрочкаThe postponement of the exam gave us more time to study.
      34
      politicaladjective
      siyosiyполитическийThe country is going through political changes.
      35
      symbolicadjective
      ramziyсимволическийGiving bread to guests is a symbolic act of welcome.
      36
      protestnoun
      norozilikпротестThe protest was peaceful.
      37
      achievementnoun
      yutuqдостижениеWinning a gold medal is a huge achievement.
      38
      costnoun
      xarajatстоимостьThe cost of hosting the Olympics is enormous.
      39
      spiritnoun
      ruhдухThe team showed great spirit.
      40
      unitynoun
      birlikединствоThe national holiday is a symbol of unity.