Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
More than half of the world's populationpopulation (noun)The people living in the world or a particular area.≈ Synonym: inhabitants🇺🇿UZ: aholi🇷🇺RU: население speaks more than one language on a regular basis, and scientists have become increasinglyincreasingly (adverb)More and more as time passes.≈ Synonym: more and more🇺🇿UZ: tobora ko'proq🇷🇺RU: всё более interested in how this affects the brain. Far from simply storingstore (verb)Keeping something for future use.≈ Synonym: keeping🇺🇿UZ: saqlab qo'yish🇷🇺RU: хранение two separate vocabularies side by side, research suggests that bilingualismbilingualism (noun)The ability to use two languages fluently.≈ Synonym: speaking two languages🇺🇿UZ: ikki tillilik🇷🇺RU: билингвизм actually changes the way the brain processesprocess (verb)Deals with or makes sense of information.≈ Synonym: handles🇺🇿UZ: qayta ishlaydi🇷🇺RU: обрабатывает language and, in some cases, how it functions more generallygenerally (adverb)In most cases; overall.≈ Synonym: usually🇺🇿UZ: umuman olganda🇷🇺RU: в целом.
One key finding involves inhibitioninhibition (noun)The suppression or restraint of an action or thought.≈ Synonym: suppression🇺🇿UZ: inhibitsiya (bostirish)🇷🇺RU: торможение (подавление) — the brain's ability to suppress irrelevantirrelevant (adj)Not connected to the matter at hand.≈ Synonym: unrelated🇺🇿UZ: aloqasiz🇷🇺RU: не относящийся к делу information. When a bilingualbilingual (adj)Able to speak two languages fluently.≈ Synonym: speaking two languages🇺🇿UZ: ikki tilli🇷🇺RU: двуязычный person speaks, bothboth (determiner)Used to refer to two things together.≈ Synonym: the two🇺🇿UZ: ikkalasi🇷🇺RU: оба languages are believed to remain activeactive (adj)In operation; functioning.≈ Synonym: in use🇺🇿UZ: faol🇷🇺RU: активный in the brain at the same time, even if only one is being used. This means the brain must constantly work to suppresssuppress (verb)To prevent something from being expressed.≈ Synonym: hold back🇺🇿UZ: bostirmoq🇷🇺RU: подавлять the unused language, a mental exercise that appears to strengthenstrengthen (verb)To make something stronger.≈ Synonym: reinforce🇺🇿UZ: mustahkamlamoq🇷🇺RU: укреплять broader controlcontrol (noun)The ability to regulate or direct something.≈ Synonym: regulation🇺🇿UZ: nazorat🇷🇺RU: контроль systems involved in focus and attentionattention (noun)The mental focus given to something.≈ Synonym: focus🇺🇿UZ: diqqat🇷🇺RU: внимание.
This constant mental exercise may explain why bilingual individualsindividual (noun)Single people, as opposed to groups.≈ Synonym: people🇺🇿UZ: shaxslar🇷🇺RU: отдельные лица often perform particularly well on tasks requiring them to switch between different rules or ignore distractingdistracting (adj)Taking attention away from something.≈ Synonym: diverting🇺🇿UZ: chalg'ituvchi🇷🇺RU: отвлекающий information. Some studies suggest this advantage extends beyond language itself, showing up in tasks that have nothing directly to do with words, such as certain types of problem-solvingproblem-solving (noun)The process of finding solutions to difficult issues.≈ Synonym: troubleshooting🇺🇿UZ: muammo yechish🇷🇺RU: решение проблем or multitasking.
Perhaps the most striking findingfinding (noun)Information discovered as a result of research.≈ Synonym: result🇺🇿UZ: topilma🇷🇺RU: результат (исследования) relates to ageingageing (noun)The process of growing old.≈ Synonym: growing older🇺🇿UZ: qarish jarayoni🇷🇺RU: старение. Several long-term studies have found that lifelong bilingual individuals tend to show symptomssymptom (noun)Signs indicating the presence of a condition.≈ Synonym: signs🇺🇿UZ: belgilar🇷🇺RU: симптомы of dementiadementia (noun)A serious decline in mental ability, often with age.≈ Synonym: cognitive decline🇺🇿UZ: demensiya🇷🇺RU: деменция, when it occurs, several years later on average than monolingualmonolingual (adj)Speaking only one language.≈ Synonym: speaking one language🇺🇿UZ: bir tilli🇷🇺RU: одноязычный individuals with similar backgrounds. Researchers believe this may be linked to what is sometimes called "cognitive reservecognitive reserve (noun)Extra mental capacity that helps resist brain decline.≈ Synonym: brain resilience🇺🇿UZ: kognitiv zaxira🇷🇺RU: когнитивный резерв" — extra mental capacity built up through the ongoing challenge of managing two language systems.
It is worth notingnote (verb)Observing or mentioning something.≈ Synonym: observing🇺🇿UZ: qayd etib🇷🇺RU: отмечая that not all research agrees on the size of these effectseffect (noun)Changes caused by an action or condition.≈ Synonym: impacts🇺🇿UZ: ta'sirlar🇷🇺RU: эффекты, and factors such as educationeducation (noun)The process of teaching or learning.≈ Synonym: schooling🇺🇿UZ: ta'lim🇷🇺RU: образование, socioeconomicsocioeconomic (adj)Relating to social and economic factors combined.≈ Synonym: social and economic🇺🇿UZ: ijtimoiy-iqtisodiy🇷🇺RU: социально-экономический background, and how frequentlyfrequently (adverb)Often; many times.≈ Synonym: often🇺🇿UZ: tez-tez🇷🇺RU: часто someone actually uses each language likely all play a rolerole (noun)The function or part played in a situation.≈ Synonym: function🇺🇿UZ: vazifa🇷🇺RU: роль. Even so, the growing body of evidence suggests that learning and actively using a second language may offer benefits that reach far beyond simply being able to hold a conversationconversation (noun)A talk between two or more people.≈ Synonym: discussion🇺🇿UZ: suhbat🇷🇺RU: разговор in another tongue.