Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
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Stretchingstretch (verb)Extending over a distance.≈ Synonym: extending🇺🇿UZ: cho'zilmoq🇷🇺RU: простираться for thousands of kilometreskilometre (noun)A unit of distance equal to 1,000 metres.≈ Synonym: km🇺🇿UZ: kilometr🇷🇺RU: километр across northern China, the Great Wall is one of the most recognisablerecognisable (adj)Easily identified.≈ Synonym: identifiable🇺🇿UZ: tanish, darrov taniladigan🇷🇺RU: узнаваемый man-mademan-made (adj)Made by people, not occurring naturally.≈ Synonym: artificial🇺🇿UZ: sun'iy🇷🇺RU: искусственный structuresstructure (noun)Buildings or other large constructed objects.≈ Synonym: constructions🇺🇿UZ: inshoot🇷🇺RU: сооружение on Earth. Despite its name, the wall was never a single, continuouscontinuous (adj)Without interruption; unbroken.≈ Synonym: unbroken🇺🇿UZ: uzluksiz🇷🇺RU: непрерывный constructionconstruction (noun)The building of something.≈ Synonym: structure built🇺🇿UZ: qurilish, inshoot🇷🇺RU: строительство, сооружение built at one time. Instead, it is better understood as a collectioncollection (noun)A group of things gathered together.≈ Synonym: group🇺🇿UZ: to'plam, majmua🇷🇺RU: собрание, совокупность of walls, fortificationsfortification (noun)Defensive structures built for protection.≈ Synonym: defensive walls🇺🇿UZ: istehkom, mudofaa inshooti🇷🇺RU: укрепление, фортификация, and watchtowerswatchtower (noun)A tall tower from which guards watch for danger.≈ Synonym: lookout🇺🇿UZ: kuzatuv minorasi🇷🇺RU: сторожевая башня built by different Chinese dynastiesdynasty (noun)Sequences of rulers from the same family.≈ Synonym: ruling families🇺🇿UZ: sulola🇷🇺RU: династия over more than two thousand years.
The earliest sections date back to the 7th century BCE, when separate states built individual defensivedefensive (adj)Intended to protect against attack.≈ Synonym: protective🇺🇿UZ: himoya🇷🇺RU: оборонительный walls to protect their territoryterritory (noun)An area of land under the control of a ruler or state.≈ Synonym: land🇺🇿UZ: hudud🇷🇺RU: территория from rivalrival (adj)Competing with each other.≈ Synonym: competing🇺🇿UZ: raqib🇷🇺RU: соперничающий states and nomadicnomadic (adj)Moving from place to place, without a fixed home.≈ Synonym: wandering🇺🇿UZ: ko'chmanchi🇷🇺RU: кочевой groups to the north. These early walls were relatively simple, often made from compactedcompacted (adj)Pressed firmly together.≈ Synonym: pressed tight🇺🇿UZ: zichlangan, shibbalangan🇷🇺RU: утрамбованный earth rather than stone. It was only later, particularly under the Qin dynasty around 221 BCE, that some of these separate walls began to be connectedconnect (verb)Joined together.≈ Synonym: linked🇺🇿UZ: bog'lamoq, ulamoq🇷🇺RU: соединять into a more unifiedunified (adj)Joined together as one.≈ Synonym: united🇺🇿UZ: yagona, birlashgan🇷🇺RU: единый, объединённый defensive line.
The version of the wall most visitors recognise today, with its impressive stone and brickbrick (noun)A block of baked clay used in building.≈ Synonym: block🇺🇿UZ: g'isht🇷🇺RU: кирпич construction, was largely built during the Ming dynasty between the 14th and 17th centuries CE. Facing repeated threats from northernnorthern (adj)Situated in or coming from the north.≈ Synonym: situated in the north🇺🇿UZ: shimoliy🇷🇺RU: северный tribestribe (noun)A group of families with the same culture and leader.≈ Synonym: clan🇺🇿UZ: qabila🇷🇺RU: племя, the Ming rulers investedinvest (verb)To spend money or effort to get a good result.🇺🇿UZ: sarflamoq, sarmoya kiritmoq🇷🇺RU: вкладывать heavily in rebuildingrebuild (verb)Constructing something again after damage.≈ Synonym: reconstructing🇺🇿UZ: qayta qurmoq🇷🇺RU: восстанавливать, перестраивать and strengtheningstrengthen (verb)Making something more solid or powerful.≈ Synonym: reinforcing🇺🇿UZ: mustahkamlamoq🇷🇺RU: укреплять the wall, adding watchtowers roughly every few hundred metres to allow soldiers to communicate quickly using smoke or fire signalssignal (noun)Gestures or sounds used to convey information.≈ Synonym: messages🇺🇿UZ: signal, ishora🇷🇺RU: сигнал.
Despite its enormous scale, historians generally agree that the wall was only ever partiallypartially (adverb)To some extent; not completely.≈ Synonym: partly🇺🇿UZ: qisman🇷🇺RU: частично effective as a military defence. Determined invading forces sometimes found ways around, over, or through it, and in several notablenotable (adj)Important or interesting enough to notice.≈ Synonym: remarkable🇺🇿UZ: e'tiborga molik🇷🇺RU: заметный, примечательный cases, the wall's gatesgate (noun)A door in a wall or fence.🇺🇿UZ: darvoza🇷🇺RU: ворота were simply openedopen (verb)Made accessible; unblocked.≈ Synonym: unlocked🇺🇿UZ: ochmoq🇷🇺RU: открывать by guards, whether through briberybribery (noun)The act of giving money to influence someone dishonestly.≈ Synonym: corruption🇺🇿UZ: poraxo'rlik🇷🇺RU: взяточничество or betrayalbetrayal (noun)Not being loyal to someone who trusts you.≈ Synonym: treachery🇺🇿UZ: xiyonat, sotqinlik🇷🇺RU: предательство. Its role was arguablyarguably (adv)Used to say something can be supported with reasons.≈ Synonym: possibly🇺🇿UZ: shubhasiz deyish mumkin🇷🇺RU: пожалуй, возможно as much about controlling trade and movementmovement (noun)The act of moving from one place to another.≈ Synonym: motion🇺🇿UZ: harakat, qatnov🇷🇺RU: передвижение along the border as about stopping large-scale invasioninvasion (noun)When an army enters another country to take control.≈ Synonym: attack🇺🇿UZ: bosqin🇷🇺RU: вторжение outrightoutright (adv)Completely; directly.≈ Synonym: completely🇺🇿UZ: butunlay, ochiqdan-ochiq🇷🇺RU: полностью, прямо.
Today, the Great Wall attracts millions of touriststourist (noun)People travelling for pleasure.≈ Synonym: visitors🇺🇿UZ: sayyoh🇷🇺RU: турист every year and stands as a powerful symbolsymbol (noun)A thing that represents an idea or quality.≈ Synonym: emblem🇺🇿UZ: ramz🇷🇺RU: символ of Chinese history and engineering ambition. However, large sections have sufferedsuffer (verb)To experience something bad, like damage or pain.≈ Synonym: undergo🇺🇿UZ: zarar ko'rmoq, aziyat chekmoq🇷🇺RU: страдать, терпеть from centuries of erosionerosion (noun)The gradual wearing away of soil or rock.≈ Synonym: wearing away🇺🇿UZ: eroziya🇷🇺RU: эрозия, weather damage, and, more recently, damage caused by visitors and nearby developmentdevelopment (noun)The process of land being built up or expanded.≈ Synonym: construction🇺🇿UZ: qurilish, o'zlashtirish🇷🇺RU: застройка. Ongoing conservation efforts aim to protect what remains of this extraordinary structure for future generations to see.
In your own words, write a short summary of what you just read (90–120+ words). Don't copy sentences — explain the main ideas.
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 | stretchverb | cho'zilmoq | простираться | The desert stretches for hundreds of kilometres. |
| 2 | kilometrenoun | kilometr | километр | Tashkent is about 300 kilometres from Samarkand. |
| 3 | recognisableadjective | tanish, darrov taniladigan | узнаваемый | The Eiffel Tower is instantly recognisable. |
| 4 | man-madeadjective | sun'iy | искусственный | The lake is man-made. |
| 5 | structurenoun | inshoot | сооружение | The bridge is a huge steel structure. |
| 6 | continuousadjective | uzluksiz | непрерывный | There was continuous rain for three days. |
| 7 | constructionnoun | qurilish, inshoot | строительство, сооружение | The construction of the new metro line took four years. |
| 8 | collectionnoun | to'plam, majmua | собрание, совокупность | The museum has a large collection of coins. |
| 9 | fortificationnoun | istehkom, mudofaa inshooti | укрепление, фортификация | The city was surrounded by strong fortifications. |
| 10 | watchtowernoun | kuzatuv minorasi | сторожевая башня | Soldiers stood in the watchtower all night. |
| 11 | dynastynoun | sulola | династия | The Timurid dynasty ruled Central Asia for over a century. |
| 12 | defensiveadjective | himoya | оборонительный | Bukhara's defensive walls once surrounded the whole city. |
| 13 | territorynoun | hudud | территория | The army protected its territory. |
| 14 | rivaladjective | raqib | соперничающий | The two rival teams met in the final. |
| 15 | nomadicadjective | ko'chmanchi | кочевой | The Kazakhs were once a nomadic people. |
| 16 | compactedadjective | zichlangan, shibbalangan | утрамбованный | The walls were made of compacted earth. |
| 17 | connectverb | bog'lamoq, ulamoq | соединять | The two buildings are connected by a bridge. |
| 18 | unifiedadjective | yagona, birlashgan | единый, объединённый | The country needs a unified plan. |
| 19 | bricknoun | g'isht | кирпич | The old houses are made of brick. |
| 20 | northernadjective | shimoliy | северный | It snows a lot in the northern regions. |
| 21 | tribenoun | qabila | племя | Many tribes lived in the steppe. |
| 22 | investverb | sarflamoq, sarmoya kiritmoq | вкладывать | We invested a lot of time in this project. |
| 23 | rebuildverb | qayta qurmoq | восстанавливать, перестраивать | They are rebuilding the old mosque. |
| 24 | strengthenverb | mustahkamlamoq | укреплять | Engineers are strengthening the bridge. |
| 25 | signalnoun | signal, ishora | сигнал | The ship sent a distress signal. |
| 26 | partiallyadverb | qisman | частично | The road is partially closed. |
| 27 | notableadjective | e'tiborga molik | заметный, примечательный | There are a few notable exceptions. |
| 28 | gatenoun | darvoza | ворота | The city gates were closed at night. |
| 29 | openverb | ochmoq | открывать | The guard opened the gate. |
| 30 | briberynoun | poraxo'rlik | взяточничество | He was arrested for bribery. |
| 31 | betrayalnoun | xiyonat, sotqinlik | предательство | His betrayal hurt his friends deeply. |
| 32 | arguablyadverb | shubhasiz deyish mumkin | пожалуй, возможно | Navoi is arguably the greatest Uzbek poet. |
| 33 | movementnoun | harakat, qatnov | передвижение | The new rules limit the movement of goods across the border. |
| 34 | invasionnoun | bosqin | вторжение | The Mongol invasion destroyed many cities. |
| 35 | outrightadverb | butunlay, ochiqdan-ochiq | полностью, прямо | The plan was rejected outright. |
| 36 | touristnoun | sayyoh | турист | Khiva is full of tourists in spring. |
| 37 | symbolnoun | ramz | символ | The Registan is a symbol of Samarkand. |
| 38 | sufferverb | zarar ko'rmoq, aziyat chekmoq | страдать, терпеть | The building suffered serious damage in the earthquake. |
| 39 | erosionnoun | eroziya | эрозия | Wind erosion is damaging the old walls. |
| 40 | developmentnoun | qurilish, o'zlashtirish | застройка | New housing development is spreading around the city. |