Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
Before the inventioninvention (noun)Something that has been created or designed for the first time.≈ Synonym: creation🇺🇿UZ: ixtiro🇷🇺RU: изобретение of the telephone, people could only communicatecommunicate (verb)To share information or ideas with someone.≈ Synonym: talk🇺🇿UZ: muloqot qilmoq🇷🇺RU: общаться over long distancesdistance (noun)The amount of space between two places.≈ Synonym: spans🇺🇿UZ: masofalar🇷🇺RU: расстояния by sendingsend (verb)To make something go to another person or place.≈ Synonym: post🇺🇿UZ: yubormoq🇷🇺RU: отправлять letters or using telegraphstelegraph (noun)Old devices or systems used to send short messages using electrical signals.≈ Synonym: wire-message system🇺🇿UZ: telegraf🇷🇺RU: телеграф. Letters could take many days or weeksweek (noun)A period of seven days.🇺🇿UZ: hafta🇷🇺RU: неделя to arrivearrive (verb)To reach a place after travelling.≈ Synonym: reach🇺🇿UZ: yetib bormoq🇷🇺RU: прибывать, and telegraph messagesmessage (noun)Short pieces of information sent from one person to another.≈ Synonym: notes🇺🇿UZ: xabarlar🇷🇺RU: сообщения were short and often difficultdifficult (adj)Not easy to do or understand.≈ Synonym: hard🇺🇿UZ: qiyin🇷🇺RU: трудный to understandunderstand (verb)To know the meaning of something.≈ Synonym: get🇺🇿UZ: tushunmoq🇷🇺RU: понимать. The telephone changed everything by allowingallow (verb)Making it possible for something to happen.≈ Synonym: enabling🇺🇿UZ: imkon berish, ruxsat berish🇷🇺RU: позволяя people to talk to each other, even when they were far apartfar apartSeparated by a long distance.≈ Synonym: a long way from each other🇺🇿UZ: bir-biridan uzoqda🇷🇺RU: далеко друг от друга.
The first telephone was made by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. Bell was bornborn (adj)Having started life at a certain time or place.🇺🇿UZ: tug'ilgan🇷🇺RU: рождённый in Scotland but lived in the United States. He was very interestedinterested (adj)Wanting to know or learn more about something.≈ Synonym: curious🇺🇿UZ: qiziqqan🇷🇺RU: заинтересованный in sounds and how people speak, partlypartly (adv)To some extent, but not completely.≈ Synonym: in part🇺🇿UZ: qisman🇷🇺RU: частично because his mother was deafdeaf (adj)Unable to hear, partly or completely.≈ Synonym: hearing-impaired🇺🇿UZ: kar, eshitmaydigan🇷🇺RU: глухой. This interest ledlead (verb)Caused someone to do something or caused a result to happen.≈ Synonym: caused🇺🇿UZ: olib keldi, sabab bo'ldi🇷🇺RU: привело (к) him to study ways of sending sound through wireswire (noun)Long, thin pieces of metal used to carry electricity or signals.≈ Synonym: cables🇺🇿UZ: simlar🇷🇺RU: провода.
Bell’s first telephone was a simplesimple (adj)Not difficult or complicated.≈ Synonym: easy🇺🇿UZ: oddiy, sodda🇷🇺RU: простой machinemachine (noun)A piece of equipment that does a job.≈ Synonym: device🇺🇿UZ: mashina, apparat🇷🇺RU: машина, аппарат. It had a small microphonemicrophone (noun)A device that takes in sound and turns it into an electrical signal.≈ Synonym: mic🇺🇿UZ: mikrofon🇷🇺RU: микрофон and a speakerspeaker (noun)A device that turns electrical signals back into sound.≈ Synonym: loudspeaker🇺🇿UZ: karnay, dinamik🇷🇺RU: динамик. When someone spokespeak (verb)Said words out loud; talked.≈ Synonym: talked🇺🇿UZ: gapirdi, so'zladi🇷🇺RU: говорил into the microphone, their voicevoice (noun)The sound a person makes when speaking.≈ Synonym: tone🇺🇿UZ: ovoz🇷🇺RU: голос was turned intoturn intoChanged and became something different.≈ Synonym: converted into🇺🇿UZ: aylandi, o'zgardi🇷🇺RU: превратился в electrical signalselectrical signalPatterns of electricity used to carry information.≈ Synonym: electric pulses🇺🇿UZ: elektr signallari🇷🇺RU: электрические сигналы. These signals travelledtravel (verb)Moved from one place to another.≈ Synonym: moved🇺🇿UZ: harakatlandi, o'tdi🇷🇺RU: прошли, передвигались through wires to another telephone, where the speaker changed the signals back into sound. This was the first time people could hearhear (verb)To notice sounds with your ears.🇺🇿UZ: eshitmoq🇷🇺RU: слышать a real voice from far away.
At first, very few people had telephones. The machines were large and expensiveexpensive (adj)Costing a lot of money.≈ Synonym: costly🇺🇿UZ: qimmat🇷🇺RU: дорогой, and only richrich (adj)Having a lot of money or wealth.≈ Synonym: wealthy🇺🇿UZ: boy🇷🇺RU: богатый people or businessesbusiness (noun)Organisations that buy, sell, or make things to earn money.≈ Synonym: companies🇺🇿UZ: korxonalar, kompaniyalar🇷🇺RU: предприятия could affordafford (verb)To have enough money to be able to pay for something.≈ Synonym: pay for🇺🇿UZ: pul yetkazmoq, sotib ola olmoq🇷🇺RU: позволить себе them. But over time, telephones became smaller, cheapercheap (adj)Costing less money.≈ Synonym: less costly🇺🇿UZ: arzonroq🇷🇺RU: дешевле, and easiereasy (adj)Not hard to do.≈ Synonym: simple🇺🇿UZ: oson🇷🇺RU: лёгкий to use. More and more people started using them, and soon telephones became commoncommon (adj)Found or happening often; usual, not rare.≈ Synonym: widespread🇺🇿UZ: keng tarqalgan, odatiy🇷🇺RU: обычный, распространённый in homes and officesoffice (noun)Rooms or buildings where people do business or administrative work.≈ Synonym: workplaces🇺🇿UZ: ofislar🇷🇺RU: офисы.
Today, telephones are a normalnormal (adj)Usual and expected; not unusual.≈ Synonym: ordinary🇺🇿UZ: odatiy, oddiy🇷🇺RU: нормальный part of life. People can call friends and family anywhere in the world. Mobile phonesmobile phonePortable telephones that people can carry and use anywhere.≈ Synonym: cell phones🇺🇿UZ: mobil telefonlar🇷🇺RU: мобильные телефоны and the internet have made it even easier to stay in touchstay in touchTo continue communicating with someone regularly.≈ Synonym: keep in contact🇺🇿UZ: aloqada bo'lish🇷🇺RU: поддерживать связь. The invention of the telephone has trulytruly (adv)Really; in a way that is completely true.≈ Synonym: really🇺🇿UZ: chindan ham, haqiqatan🇷🇺RU: действительно, по-настоящему changed the way we live.
In your own words, write a short summary of what you just read (70–100 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 | inventionnoun | ixtiro | изобретение | The invention of the internet changed the way we work. |
| 2 | communicateverb | muloqot qilmoq | общаться | We communicate with our family abroad by video call. |
| 3 | distancenoun | masofalar | расстояния | My school is within walking distance of my house. |
| 4 | sendverb | yubormoq | отправлять | I'm sending you the photos now. |
| 5 | telegraphnoun | telegraf | телеграф | In the past, important news was sent by telegraph. |
| 6 | weeknoun | hafta | неделя | The holiday lasts two weeks. |
| 7 | arriveverb | yetib bormoq | прибывать | Your parcel should arrive within three days. |
| 8 | messagenoun | xabarlar | сообщения | I left a message on her phone, but she hasn't replied. |
| 9 | difficultadjective | qiyin | трудный | It's difficult to concentrate when it's noisy. |
| 10 | understandverb | tushunmoq | понимать | I don't understand this question. |
| 11 | allowverb | imkon berish, ruxsat berish | позволяя | Smartphones allow us to work from almost anywhere. |
| 12 | far apart | bir-biridan uzoqda | далеко друг от друга | Our houses are far apart, so we rarely meet. |
| 13 | bornadjective | tug'ilgan | рождённый | My father was born in Bukhara. |
| 14 | interestedadjective | qiziqqan | заинтересованный | I've always been interested in old cars. |
| 15 | partlyadverb | qisman | частично | The accident was partly my fault. |
| 16 | deafadjective | kar, eshitmaydigan | глухой | My grandfather is a little deaf, so please speak loudly. |
| 17 | leadverb | olib keldi, sabab bo'ldi | привело (к) | Hard work usually leads to success. |
| 18 | wirenoun | simlar | провода | Don't touch that wire — it's dangerous. |
| 19 | simpleadjective | oddiy, sodda | простой | The recipe is very simple. |
| 20 | machinenoun | mashina, apparat | машина, аппарат | Our washing machine is broken. |
| 21 | microphonenoun | mikrofon | микрофон | The singer held the microphone close to her mouth. |
| 22 | speakernoun | karnay, dinamik | динамик | The music came from a small speaker on the shelf. |
| 23 | speakverb | gapirdi, so'zladi | говорил | She spoke to the audience without any notes. |
| 24 | voicenoun | ovoz | голос | He has a deep, calm voice. |
| 25 | turn into | aylandi, o'zgardi | превратился в | In winter, the water turns into ice. |
| 26 | electrical signal | elektr signallari | электрические сигналы | The brain sends electrical signals to the muscles. |
| 27 | travelverb | harakatlandi, o'tdi | прошли, передвигались | Light travels faster than sound. |
| 28 | hearverb | eshitmoq | слышать | Can you hear the music next door? |
| 29 | expensiveadjective | qimmat | дорогой | Fresh fruit is more expensive in winter. |
| 30 | richadjective | boy | богатый | Only rich families could afford a car in those days. |
| 31 | businessnoun | korxonalar, kompaniyalar | предприятия | Many small businesses closed during the crisis. |
| 32 | affordverb | pul yetkazmoq, sotib ola olmoq | позволить себе | We can't afford a holiday abroad this year. |
| 33 | cheapadjective | arzonroq | дешевле | Train tickets are cheaper if you book early. |
| 34 | easyadjective | oson | лёгкий | The second test was easier than the first. |
| 35 | commonadjective | keng tarqalgan, odatiy | обычный, распространённый | Karimov is a very common surname in Uzbekistan. |
| 36 | officenoun | ofislar | офисы | Our office is on the third floor. |
| 37 | normaladjective | odatiy, oddiy | нормальный | It's normal to feel nervous before an interview. |
| 38 | mobile phone | mobil telefonlar | мобильные телефоны | Please switch off your mobile phone during the exam. |
| 39 | stay in touch | aloqada bo'lish | поддерживать связь | Let's stay in touch after we finish university. |
| 40 | trulyadverb | chindan ham, haqiqatan | действительно, по-настоящему | She was truly happy on her wedding day. |