Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
Few inventionsinvention (noun)Things created or designed for the first time.≈ Synonym: creations🇺🇿UZ: ixtirolar🇷🇺RU: изобретения in human history have been as influentialinfluential (adj)Having a great effect on someone or something.≈ Synonym: significant🇺🇿UZ: ta'sirchan🇷🇺RU: влиятельный as the wheel. Yet its originsorigin (noun)The points where something begins.≈ Synonym: beginnings🇺🇿UZ: kelib chiqishi🇷🇺RU: истоки are more surprising than many people expect. Archaeologicalarchaeological (adj)Relating to the study of ancient history through excavation.≈ Synonym: relating to archaeology🇺🇿UZ: arxeologik🇷🇺RU: археологический evidence suggests that the earliest wheels were not used for transporttransport (noun)The means of moving people or goods.≈ Synonym: transportation🇺🇿UZ: transport🇷🇺RU: транспорт at all, but for making potterypottery (noun)Objects made from baked clay.≈ Synonym: ceramics🇺🇿UZ: sopol buyumlar🇷🇺RU: гончарные изделия. The potter's wheelpotter's wheel (noun)A spinning device used to shape clay.≈ Synonym: pottery wheel🇺🇿UZ: kulolchilik charxi🇷🇺RU: гончарный круг, used to shape clay into round vessels, appears to have been developed in MesopotamiaMesopotamia (noun)An ancient region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.≈ Synonym: ancient Middle East region🇺🇿UZ: Mesopotamiya🇷🇺RU: Месопотамия around 3500 BCE, several centuries before wheels were used on vehiclesvehicle (noun)Machines used to transport people or goods.≈ Synonym: transport machines🇺🇿UZ: transport vositalari🇷🇺RU: транспортные средства.
It took time for people to realise that a spinning disc could also be used to help move heavy loadsload (noun)Heavy things being carried or transported.≈ Synonym: cargo🇺🇿UZ: yuklar🇷🇺RU: грузы. The earliest wheeled cartscart (noun)Simple vehicles with wheels, often pulled by animals.≈ Synonym: wagons🇺🇿UZ: aravalar🇷🇺RU: телеги, dated to roughly 3200 BCE, appear in archaeological sitessite (noun)Locations where something is or was situated.≈ Synonym: locations🇺🇿UZ: joylar🇷🇺RU: места (объекты) across several regions at around the same time, suggesting the idea may have developed independentlyindependently (adverb)Without being influenced by others.≈ Synonym: separately🇺🇿UZ: mustaqil ravishda🇷🇺RU: независимо in more than one place rather than spreadingspread (verb)Becoming more widely distributed.≈ Synonym: extending🇺🇿UZ: tarqalib🇷🇺RU: распространяясь from a single sourcesource (noun)The place something originates from.≈ Synonym: origin🇺🇿UZ: manba🇷🇺RU: источник.
Early wheels were solid discs of wood, which made them heavy and difficult to turn. A major improvementimprovement (noun)A change that makes something better.≈ Synonym: advance🇺🇿UZ: yaxshilanish🇷🇺RU: усовершенствование came with the invention of spokedspoked (adj)Having thin bars connecting the centre and rim of a wheel.≈ Synonym: with spokes🇺🇿UZ: shprislar (arralar)ga ega🇷🇺RU: со спицами wheels, which used thin wooden bars connecting the centre to the outer rim. This design was much lighterlight (adj)Weighing less; not heavy.≈ Synonym: less heavy🇺🇿UZ: yengilroq🇷🇺RU: легче and stronger, and it dramatically improved the speed and manoeuvrability of vehicles, particularly war chariotschariot (noun)Ancient two-wheeled vehicles pulled by horses.≈ Synonym: horse-drawn carts🇺🇿UZ: arava (jang)🇷🇺RU: колесницы.
The impact of the wheel went far beyond transport. Wheeled vehicles made it easier to move goods, cropscrop (noun)Plants grown in large amounts for food.≈ Synonym: produce🇺🇿UZ: hosil🇷🇺RU: урожай, and armies over long distances, supporting the growth of trade and the expansionexpansion (noun)The process of becoming larger.≈ Synonym: growth🇺🇿UZ: kengayish🇷🇺RU: расширение of early empires. Wheel-based technology also influenced machinerymachinery (noun)Machines collectively, especially large ones.≈ Synonym: equipment🇺🇿UZ: mexanizmlar🇷🇺RU: техника (механизмы) such as pulleyspulley (noun)Wheels with a groove used for lifting weights with a rope.≈ Synonym: lifting wheels🇺🇿UZ: bloklar🇷🇺RU: блоки (шкивы), gears, and water wheels, which later played a key role in early manufacturingmanufacturing (noun)The making of goods on a large scale.≈ Synonym: production🇺🇿UZ: ishlab chiqarish🇷🇺RU: производство and agriculture.
Remarkablyremarkably (adverb)In a way worthy of attention; surprisingly.≈ Synonym: notably🇺🇿UZ: ajablanarlisi🇷🇺RU: примечательно, some advanced ancient civilisationscivilisation (noun)Complex societies with developed cultures.≈ Synonym: societies🇺🇿UZ: sivilizatsiyalar🇷🇺RU: цивилизации, such as the Inca in South America, never developed the wheel for practicalpractical (adj)Relating to actual use rather than theory.≈ Synonym: functional🇺🇿UZ: amaliy🇷🇺RU: практический transport, largely because their mountainousmountainous (adj)Having many mountains.≈ Synonym: hilly🇺🇿UZ: tog'li🇷🇺RU: гористый terrain and lack of large draft animals made it less useful. This shows that even a seemingly obviousobvious (adj)Easy to see or understand; clear.≈ Synonym: clear🇺🇿UZ: aniq (ravshan)🇷🇺RU: очевидный invention like the wheel depended heavily on the specific environmentenvironment (noun)The surroundings in which something exists.≈ Synonym: surroundings🇺🇿UZ: atrof-muhit🇷🇺RU: среда and needs of a society.