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Day 46 · Health & Medicine · B2 Level

The Power of Habits: How Routines Shape Our Lives

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

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

Researchersresearcher (noun)People who carry out academic study.≈ Synonym: scientists🇺🇿UZ: tadqiqotchi🇷🇺RU: исследователь estimateestimate (verb)To roughly calculate a value.≈ Synonym: calculate approximately🇺🇿UZ: taxminan hisoblamoq🇷🇺RU: оценивать, подсчитывать that habitshabit (noun)Regular practices or tendencies.≈ Synonym: routines🇺🇿UZ: odat🇷🇺RU: привычка — actionsaction (noun)Things done; acts.≈ Synonym: acts🇺🇿UZ: harakat, ish🇷🇺RU: действие, поступок we perform so often they become almost automaticautomatic (adj)Done without conscious thought.≈ Synonym: unconscious🇺🇿UZ: avtomatik🇷🇺RU: автоматический — make up close to half of our daily behaviourbehaviour (noun)The way a person acts.≈ Synonym: conduct🇺🇿UZ: xulq-atvor🇷🇺RU: поведение. From brushingbrush (verb)To clean with a brush.🇺🇿UZ: tish cho'tkalamoq, cho'tkalamoq🇷🇺RU: чистить щёткой our teeth to checking our phones, many of the things we do each day require little consciousconscious (adj)Noticing and thinking about something.≈ Synonym: aware🇺🇿UZ: ongli🇷🇺RU: сознательный thoughtthought (noun)The act or process of thinking.≈ Synonym: consideration🇺🇿UZ: fikr, o'ylash🇷🇺RU: мысль, размышление at all, simply because our brains have learned to perform them almost effortlesslyeffortlessly (adverb)Without any apparent effort.≈ Synonym: easily🇺🇿UZ: zo'riqmasdan, osongina🇷🇺RU: без усилий.

Habits form through a process that scientists often describe using a looploop (noun)A repeated sequence of events.≈ Synonym: cycle🇺🇿UZ: aylana, takrorlanuvchi zanjir🇷🇺RU: петля, цикл of three parts: a cuecue (noun)A signal that prompts an action.≈ Synonym: trigger🇺🇿UZ: signal, ishora🇷🇺RU: сигнал, подсказка, a routineroutine (noun)A regular, fixed pattern of activity.≈ Synonym: habit🇺🇿UZ: odatiy tartib, takroriy ish🇷🇺RU: привычный порядок, рутина, and a rewardreward (noun)Something given in return for an action.≈ Synonym: benefit🇺🇿UZ: mukofot🇷🇺RU: награда. The cue is a signal that triggerstrigger (verb)Causes something to happen or begin.≈ Synonym: sets off🇺🇿UZ: qo'zg'atmoq, boshlab yubormoq🇷🇺RU: вызывать, запускать the behaviour, such as feeling tired in the morning. The routine is the action itself, like making coffee. The reward is the positive outcomeoutcome (noun)The result or consequence of something.≈ Synonym: result🇺🇿UZ: natija🇷🇺RU: результат that follows, such as feeling more alertalert (adj)Awake and able to think clearly.≈ Synonym: awake🇺🇿UZ: hushyor, tetik🇷🇺RU: бодрый, внимательный. Over time, as this loop repeatsrepeat (verb)Happens again in the same way.≈ Synonym: recurs🇺🇿UZ: takrorlamoq🇷🇺RU: повторять(ся), the connection between cue and routine becomes strongerstrong (adj)More powerful or firmly established.≈ Synonym: more firmly established🇺🇿UZ: kuchli🇷🇺RU: сильный, until the behaviour requires almost no conscious effort.

This automatic quality is part of what makes habits so powerfulpowerful (adj)Having great strength or influence.≈ Synonym: strong🇺🇿UZ: kuchli🇷🇺RU: мощный — and also what makes unwantedunwanted (adj)Not desired.≈ Synonym: undesired🇺🇿UZ: keraksiz, istalmagan🇷🇺RU: нежелательный habits so difficult to break. Simply deciding to stop a habit rarely works well, because the underlyingunderlying (adj)Real but hidden; at the root of something.≈ Synonym: basic🇺🇿UZ: asl, yashirin (sabab)🇷🇺RU: лежащий в основе cue and reward remain unchangedunchanged (adj)Staying the same.≈ Synonym: the same🇺🇿UZ: o'zgarmagan🇷🇺RU: неизменный. Psychologistspsychologist (noun)Experts who study the mind and behaviour.≈ Synonym: mind experts🇺🇿UZ: psixolog🇷🇺RU: психолог generally recommend a more effectiveeffective (adj)Producing the intended result.≈ Synonym: successful🇺🇿UZ: samarali🇷🇺RU: эффективный approach: keeping the same cue and reward, but replacingreplace (verb)Taking the place of something.≈ Synonym: substituting🇺🇿UZ: almashtirmoq🇷🇺RU: заменять the unwantedunwanted (adj)Not desired.≈ Synonym: undesired🇺🇿UZ: keraksiz, istalmagan🇷🇺RU: нежелательный routine with a different, healthier one.

Building new, positive habits follows a similar principleprinciple (noun)A basic idea that guides a process.≈ Synonym: concept🇺🇿UZ: printsip🇷🇺RU: принцип. Rather than relyingrely (on) (verb)To depend on someone or something.≈ Synonym: depend🇺🇿UZ: tayanmoq🇷🇺RU: полагаться purelypurely (adv)Only; completely.≈ Synonym: only🇺🇿UZ: faqat, sof🇷🇺RU: исключительно, чисто on willpowerwillpower (noun)The ability to control one's own actions.≈ Synonym: self-control🇺🇿UZ: iroda kuchi🇷🇺RU: сила воли, which tends to be limited and easily exhaustedexhausted (adj)Used up; very tired.≈ Synonym: drained🇺🇿UZ: tugagan; holdan toygan🇷🇺RU: истощённый, исчерпанный, it helps to design an environment that makes good habits easier and bad habits harder. For example, someone hoping to read more might leave a book visiblyvisibly (adv)In a way that can be seen.≈ Synonym: clearly🇺🇿UZ: ko'zga ko'rinadigan qilib🇷🇺RU: заметно, на виду on their pillow, while someone trying to reduce screen time might charge their phone in another room overnight.

Ultimatelyultimately (adv)In the end; finally.≈ Synonym: finally🇺🇿UZ: oxir-oqibat🇷🇺RU: в конечном счёте, habits mattermatter (verb)To be important.≈ Synonym: be important🇺🇿UZ: ahamiyatli bo'lmoq🇷🇺RU: иметь значение because they shapeshape (verb)To have a strong influence on how something develops.≈ Synonym: influence🇺🇿UZ: shakllantirmoq🇷🇺RU: формировать outcomes far beyond any single day. Small, consistent routines — whether related to health, work, or learning — tend to compoundcompound (verb)To increase gradually over time.≈ Synonym: accumulate🇺🇿UZ: to'planib kattalashmoq🇷🇺RU: накапливаться, умножаться over months and years, producing results that occasionaloccasional (adj)Happening sometimes, not often.≈ Synonym: rare🇺🇿UZ: vaqti-vaqti bilan bo'ladigan🇷🇺RU: редкий, случайный burstsburst (noun)A short, sudden period of activity.≈ Synonym: outbreak🇺🇿UZ: to'satdan paydo bo'lish, portlash🇷🇺RU: всплеск, приступ of motivation rarely achieve alone. Understanding how habits actually work, rather than relying on willpower alone, may be one of the most practical tools available for lastinglasting (adj)Continuing for a long time.≈ Synonym: permanent🇺🇿UZ: uzoq davom etadigan🇷🇺RU: длительный, прочный personalpersonal (adj)Relating to a particular individual.≈ Synonym: individual🇺🇿UZ: shaxsiy🇷🇺RU: личный change.

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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
      researchernoun
      tadqiqotchiисследовательResearchers studied 1,000 students for two years.
      2
      estimateverb
      taxminan hisoblamoqоценивать, подсчитыватьExperts estimate that the city has 3 million people.
      3
      habitnoun
      odatпривычкаDrinking water in the morning is a healthy habit.
      4
      actionnoun
      harakat, ishдействие, поступокYour actions are more important than your words.
      5
      automaticadjective
      avtomatikавтоматическийAfter a few weeks, driving becomes automatic.
      6
      behaviournoun
      xulq-atvorповедениеHis behaviour at the party was very strange.
      7
      brushverb
      tish cho'tkalamoq, cho'tkalamoqчистить щёткойBrush your teeth twice a day.
      8
      consciousadjective
      ongliсознательныйShe made a conscious effort to be on time.
      9
      thoughtnoun
      fikr, o'ylashмысль, размышлениеI gave the question a lot of thought.
      10
      effortlesslyadverb
      zo'riqmasdan, osonginaбез усилийShe speaks three languages effortlessly.
      11
      loopnoun
      aylana, takrorlanuvchi zanjirпетля, циклStress and bad sleep can become a loop.
      12
      cuenoun
      signal, ishoraсигнал, подсказкаThe bell is a cue for the students to stand up.
      13
      routinenoun
      odatiy tartib, takroriy ishпривычный порядок, рутинаBrushing my teeth is part of my evening routine.
      14
      rewardnoun
      mukofotнаградаA cup of tea is my reward after cleaning the house.
      15
      triggerverb
      qo'zg'atmoq, boshlab yubormoqвызывать, запускатьThe smell of bread triggers happy memories.
      16
      outcomenoun
      natijaрезультатWe are waiting for the outcome of the election.
      17
      alertadjective
      hushyor, tetikбодрый, внимательныйCoffee helps me stay alert.
      18
      repeatverb
      takrorlamoqповторять(ся)History often repeats itself.
      19
      strongadjective
      kuchliсильныйThe wind is getting stronger.
      20
      powerfuladjective
      kuchliмощныйHabits are powerful — they can change your life.
      21
      unwantedadjective
      keraksiz, istalmaganнежелательныйDelete unwanted emails every week.
      22
      underlyingadjective
      asl, yashirin (sabab)лежащий в основеStress is often the underlying cause of headaches.
      23
      unchangedadjective
      o'zgarmaganнеизменныйThe price remains unchanged.
      24
      psychologistnoun
      psixologпсихологPsychologists study how people think and behave.
      25
      effectiveadjective
      samaraliэффективныйThis is the most effective way to remember words.
      26
      replaceverb
      almashtirmoqзаменятьTry replacing sweets with fruit.
      27
      principlenoun
      printsipпринципThe same principle works for learning languages.
      28
      rely (on)verb
      tayanmoqполагатьсяStop relying on your parents for money.
      29
      purelyadverb
      faqat, sofисключительно, чистоI chose the job purely for the money.
      30
      willpowernoun
      iroda kuchiсила волиIt takes willpower to stop eating sugar.
      31
      exhaustedadjective
      tugagan; holdan toyganистощённый, исчерпанныйI was exhausted after the long journey.
      32
      visiblyadverb
      ko'zga ko'rinadigan qilibзаметно, на видуShe was visibly nervous before her speech.
      33
      ultimatelyadverb
      oxir-oqibatв конечном счётеUltimately, the decision is yours.
      34
      matterverb
      ahamiyatli bo'lmoqиметь значениеSmall details matter.
      35
      shapeverb
      shakllantirmoqформироватьBooks shaped my view of the world.
      36
      compoundverb
      to'planib kattalashmoqнакапливаться, умножатьсяSmall savings compound over the years.
      37
      occasionaladjective
      vaqti-vaqti bilan bo'ladiganредкий, случайныйI have an occasional coffee, but I prefer tea.
      38
      burstnoun
      to'satdan paydo bo'lish, portlashвсплеск, приступHe works in short bursts of energy.
      39
      lastingadjective
      uzoq davom etadiganдлительный, прочныйThe trip left a lasting impression on me.
      40
      personaladjective
      shaxsiyличныйThis is a personal question — you don't have to answer.