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Day 14 · History & Culture · B1 Level

The Life and Work of Nelson Mandela

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 4-5 minutes 📖 Reading + Vocabulary ✅ 10 True / False questions
How to use this page: Highlighted words are key vocabulary. On a computer, hover your mouse over a highlighted word — on phone or tablet, tap the word — to see its English definition, a synonym, and its Uzbek 🇺🇿 and Russian 🇷🇺 meaning. Tap 🇬🇧 UK or 🇺🇸 US to hear it pronounced in either accent.
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Reading Passage

Nelson Mandela is rememberedremember (verb)Thought of or kept in memory, especially with respect.≈ Synonym: recalled, honored🇺🇿UZ: eslanadi, xotirlanadi🇷🇺RU: помнят, вспоминают as one of the most important leadersleaderPeople who guide or are in charge of a group or movement.≈ Synonym: figureheads🇺🇿UZ: yetakchilar🇷🇺RU: лидеры in the fight for freedomfreedom (noun)The state of being free and not controlled by others.≈ Synonym: liberty🇺🇿UZ: erkinlik🇷🇺RU: свобода and equalityequality (noun)The state of being equal, with the same rights and opportunities.≈ Synonym: fairness🇺🇿UZ: tenglik🇷🇺RU: равенство. He was born in South Africa in 1918, at a time when people of different racesrace (noun)A group of people with the same skin colour or origins.🇺🇿UZ: irq🇷🇺RU: раса were treatedtreat (verb)To behave towards someone in a certain way.🇺🇿UZ: munosabatda bo'lmoq🇷🇺RU: обращаться (с кем-то) very unequallyunequal (adv)In a way that is not fair or the same for everyone.≈ Synonym: unfairly🇺🇿UZ: notekis, adolatsiz tarzda🇷🇺RU: неравно, несправедливо. The governmentgovernment (noun)The group of people who control a country.≈ Synonym: state🇺🇿UZ: hukumat🇷🇺RU: правительство created lawslaw (noun)An official rule of a country.≈ Synonym: rule🇺🇿UZ: qonun🇷🇺RU: закон, known as apartheidapartheid (noun)A political system in South Africa that separated people by race.≈ Synonym: racial segregation🇺🇿UZ: aparteid🇷🇺RU: апартеид, that kept black and white people apartapart (adv)Separated; not together.≈ Synonym: separately🇺🇿UZ: alohida, bir-biridan ajratib🇷🇺RU: отдельно, порознь. Under apartheid, black people could not votevote (verb)To formally choose a leader or decide something by giving your opinion.≈ Synonym: cast a ballot🇺🇿UZ: ovoz bermoq🇷🇺RU: голосовать, live in certain areascertain areaSpecific, particular places.≈ Synonym: specific places🇺🇿UZ: ma'lum hududlar🇷🇺RU: определённые районы, or get a good educationeducation (noun)The process of teaching or learning, especially in school.≈ Synonym: schooling🇺🇿UZ: ta'lim🇷🇺RU: образование.

From a young age, Mandela believed that these laws were unfairunfair (adj)Not fair or right; treating people unequally.≈ Synonym: unjust🇺🇿UZ: adolatsiz🇷🇺RU: несправедливый. As a lawyerlawyer (noun)A person whose job is to give advice about the law and represent people.≈ Synonym: attorney🇺🇿UZ: advokat🇷🇺RU: адвокат, юрист, he worked to defenddefend (verb)To protect someone or something, or argue in support of them.≈ Synonym: protect🇺🇿UZ: himoya qilmoq🇷🇺RU: защищать the rightsright (noun)The things a person is legally or morally allowed to have or do.≈ Synonym: entitlements🇺🇿UZ: huquqlar🇷🇺RU: права of black South Africans. Later, he joinedjoin (verb)Became a member of a group or organization.≈ Synonym: became a member of🇺🇿UZ: qo'shildi🇷🇺RU: присоединился the African National Congress (ANC), a group that wanted to end apartheid. At first, Mandela and the ANC used peaceful protestspeaceful protestPublic actions to show disagreement without violence.≈ Synonym: nonviolent demonstrations🇺🇿UZ: tinch namoyishlar🇷🇺RU: мирные протесты, but when the government did not listenlisten (verb)To pay attention to what someone says or to consider their opinion.≈ Synonym: pay attention to🇺🇿UZ: eshitmoq, quloq solmoq🇷🇺RU: слушать, прислушиваться, they decideddecide (verb)Made a choice about what to do after thinking about it.≈ Synonym: chose, resolved🇺🇿UZ: qaror qildi🇷🇺RU: решили to take stronger actionstronger actionMore forceful or serious steps taken to achieve something.≈ Synonym: more forceful measures🇺🇿UZ: kuchliroq harakat🇷🇺RU: более решительные действия.

Because of his work againstagainst (prep)Opposing or disagreeing with something.🇺🇿UZ: ...ga qarshi🇷🇺RU: против apartheid, Mandela was sent to prisonsend to prison (verb)Made to go to prison as punishment.≈ Synonym: imprisoned🇺🇿UZ: qamoqqa yuborildi🇷🇺RU: отправлен в тюрьму in 1962. He spent 27 years behind barsbehind barsIn prison.≈ Synonym: in jail🇺🇿UZ: qamoqda, panjara ortida🇷🇺RU: за решёткой, much of it on Robben Island, a small, cold island near Cape Town. Even thougheven though (conj)Despite the fact that.≈ Synonym: although🇺🇿UZ: ...ga qaramay🇷🇺RU: хотя, несмотря на то что he was in prison, Mandela’s ideas continued to inspirecontinue to inspire (verb)Kept giving people hope, courage, or ideas.≈ Synonym: kept motivating🇺🇿UZ: ilhomlantirishda davom etdi🇷🇺RU: продолжали вдохновлять people. Around the world, millionsmillion (noun)A very large number of people or things, especially over one million.≈ Synonym: huge numbers of people🇺🇿UZ: millionlab🇷🇺RU: миллионы called forcall for (verb)Publicly asked or demanded something.≈ Synonym: demanded, appealed for🇺🇿UZ: talab qildi, chaqirdi🇷🇺RU: призывали к his releaserelease (noun)The act of setting someone free, especially from prison.≈ Synonym: freedom, discharge🇺🇿UZ: ozod etish, bo'shatish🇷🇺RU: освобождение.

Finally, in 1990, Mandela was set freeset free (verb)Released from prison or captivity.≈ Synonym: released, freed🇺🇿UZ: ozod qilindi🇷🇺RU: освобождён. Just four years later, in 1994, South Africa held its first democratic electiondemocratic electionA vote in which all citizens can freely choose their leaders.≈ Synonym: free vote🇺🇿UZ: demokratik saylov🇷🇺RU: демократические выборы where people of all races could vote. Mandela became the country’s first black presidentpresident (noun)The leader of a country that has no king or queen.🇺🇿UZ: prezident🇷🇺RU: президент. As president, he worked to bring people togetherbring people together (verb)To help different people or groups unite and cooperate.≈ Synonym: unite people🇺🇿UZ: odamlarni birlashtirmoq🇷🇺RU: объединять людей and build a better future for all South Africans.

Nelson Mandela’s life showed the power of couragecourage (noun)The ability to face danger or difficulty without giving up.≈ Synonym: bravery🇺🇿UZ: jasorat🇷🇺RU: смелость, мужество, forgivenessforgiveness (noun)The act of stopping feeling angry toward someone who has wronged you.≈ Synonym: pardon🇺🇿UZ: kechirim🇷🇺RU: прощение, and hope. His exampleexample (noun)A person or action that others can copy.≈ Synonym: model🇺🇿UZ: namuna, o'rnak🇷🇺RU: пример continues to inspire people around the world to stand up forstand up for (phrasal)To support or defend an idea or a person.≈ Synonym: defend🇺🇿UZ: himoya qilmoq, yonini olmoq🇷🇺RU: отстаивать, защищать justicejustice (noun)Fair treatment of people according to the law or what is right.≈ Synonym: fairness🇺🇿UZ: adolat🇷🇺RU: справедливость and equality.

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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
      rememberverb
      eslanadi, xotirlanadiпомнят, вспоминаютHe is remembered as a kind and honest teacher.
      2
      leader
      yetakchilarлидерыA good leader listens to the people around them.
      3
      freedomnoun
      erkinlikсвободаTeenagers often want more freedom from their parents.
      4
      equalitynoun
      tenglikравенствоThe new law supports equality between men and women.
      5
      racenoun
      irqрасаPeople of every race live in this city.
      6
      treatverb
      munosabatda bo'lmoqобращаться (с кем-то)Our teacher treats all students the same.
      7
      unequaladverb
      notekis, adolatsiz tarzdaнеравно, несправедливоIn the past, girls were treated unequally at school.
      8
      governmentnoun
      hukumatправительствоThe government is building new schools.
      9
      lawnoun
      qonunзаконIn many countries, there is a law against smoking in cafés.
      10
      apartheidnoun
      aparteidапартеидApartheid ended in South Africa in the early 1990s.
      11
      apartadverb
      alohida, bir-biridan ajratibотдельно, порозньThe twins hate being apart.
      12
      voteverb
      ovoz bermoqголосоватьYou can vote in elections when you are eighteen.
      13
      certain area
      ma'lum hududlarопределённые районыSmoking is only allowed in certain areas of the airport.
      14
      educationnoun
      ta'limобразованиеEvery child has the right to a good education.
      15
      unfairadjective
      adolatsizнесправедливыйIt's unfair to punish the whole class for one student's mistake.
      16
      lawyernoun
      advokatадвокат, юристShe hired a lawyer to help with the court case.
      17
      defendverb
      himoya qilmoqзащищатьThe goalkeeper defended the goal brilliantly.
      18
      rightnoun
      huquqlarправаEveryone has the right to clean water.
      19
      joinverb
      qo'shildiприсоединилсяI joined the school chess club last year.
      20
      peaceful protest
      tinch namoyishlarмирные протестыThousands of students took part in a peaceful protest.
      21
      listenverb
      eshitmoq, quloq solmoqслушать, прислушиватьсяMy parents always listen to my opinion.
      22
      decideverb
      qaror qildiрешилиWe decided to take the train instead of the bus.
      23
      stronger action
      kuchliroq harakatболее решительные действияMany people want stronger action against pollution.
      24
      againstpreposition
      ...ga qarshiпротивMost people voted against the new plan.
      25
      send to prisonverb
      qamoqqa yuborildiотправлен в тюрьмуThe thief was sent to prison for three years.
      26
      behind bars
      qamoqda, panjara ortidaза решёткойThe criminal will spend the next ten years behind bars.
      27
      even thoughconjunction
      ...ga qaramayхотя, несмотря на то чтоEven though it was raining, we went for a walk.
      28
      continue to inspireverb
      ilhomlantirishda davom etdiпродолжали вдохновлятьNavoi's poems continue to inspire readers today.
      29
      millionnoun
      millionlabмиллионыMillions of people watched the opening ceremony.
      30
      call forverb
      talab qildi, chaqirdiпризывали кParents are calling for safer roads near the school.
      31
      releasenoun
      ozod etish, bo'shatishосвобождениеThe film's release date is next Friday.
      32
      set freeverb
      ozod qilindiосвобождёнThe bird was set free after its wing healed.
      33
      democratic election
      demokratik saylovдемократические выборыThe country held its first democratic election last year.
      34
      presidentnoun
      prezidentпрезидентThe president gave a speech on TV.
      35
      bring people togetherverb
      odamlarni birlashtirmoqобъединять людейFootball has the power to bring people together.
      36
      couragenoun
      jasoratсмелость, мужествоIt takes courage to say you were wrong.
      37
      forgivenessnoun
      kechirimпрощениеHe asked his brother for forgiveness.
      38
      examplenoun
      namuna, o'rnakпримерMy father is a good example for me.
      39
      stand up forphrasal verb
      himoya qilmoq, yonini olmoqотстаивать, защищатьYou should stand up for your friends.
      40
      justicenoun
      adolatсправедливостьThe family went to court to get justice.