Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. People from all over the globeglobe (noun)The whole world; the Earth.≈ Synonym: the world🇺🇿UZ: dunyo, globus🇷🇺RU: земной шар, мир visit the Louvre Museum in Paris to see this small, simple portraitportrait (noun)A painting or picture of a person, especially of the face.≈ Synonym: painted picture of a person🇺🇿UZ: portret🇷🇺RU: портрет of a woman with a gentlegentle (adj)Soft, calm, and not harsh or strong.≈ Synonym: soft, mild🇺🇿UZ: yumshoq, mayin🇷🇺RU: нежный, мягкий smile. But what makes the Mona Lisa so special?
The painting was created by Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian artist and inventorinventor (noun)A person who creates something new, such as a machine or idea.≈ Synonym: creator🇺🇿UZ: ixtirochi🇷🇺RU: изобретатель, between 1503 and 1506. The woman in the picture is believedbelieve (verb)Thought that something was true, though not proven for certain.≈ Synonym: thought, considered🇺🇿UZ: deb ishoniladi🇷🇺RU: считается, полагают to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich merchantmerchant (noun)A person who buys and sells goods, especially in large amounts.≈ Synonym: trader🇺🇿UZ: savdogar🇷🇺RU: торговец, купец from Florence. At first glanceat first glanceWhen you look at something quickly, without studying it closely.≈ Synonym: on first sight🇺🇿UZ: birinchi qarashda🇷🇺RU: на первый взгляд, the Mona Lisa may look like an ordinaryordinary (adj)Normal or usual; not special or different.≈ Synonym: usual, plain🇺🇿UZ: oddiy🇷🇺RU: обычный portrait. But when you look closer, you notice the mysterymystery (noun)Something that is difficult to explain or understand.≈ Synonym: puzzle, enigma🇺🇿UZ: sir, jumboq🇷🇺RU: тайна, загадка in her eyes and smile. Some people say she looks happy, while others think she looks sad or thoughtfulthoughtful (adj)Showing deep or careful thinking.≈ Synonym: reflective, pensive🇺🇿UZ: o'ychan🇷🇺RU: задумчивый.
Leonardo was not just a painterpainter (noun)An artist who creates pictures using paint.≈ Synonym: artist🇺🇿UZ: rassom🇷🇺RU: художник — he was also a scientistscientist (noun)A person who studies and does experiments to learn about the world.≈ Synonym: researcher🇺🇿UZ: olim🇷🇺RU: учёный and engineerengineer (noun)A person who designs or builds machines, structures, or systems.≈ Synonym: designer, builder🇺🇿UZ: muhandis🇷🇺RU: инженер. He used special techniquestechnique (noun)Special methods or skills used to do something well.≈ Synonym: methods🇺🇿UZ: texnikalar, usullar🇷🇺RU: техники, приёмы to create soft lines and shadowsshadow (noun)Dark areas made when light is blocked by something.≈ Synonym: dark areas🇺🇿UZ: soyalar🇷🇺RU: тени, making the Mona Lisa look almost alivealive (adj)Living; here, seeming real and full of life.≈ Synonym: lifelike🇺🇿UZ: tirik, jonli🇷🇺RU: живой. One of his methodsmethod (noun)Particular ways of doing something.≈ Synonym: techniques, approaches🇺🇿UZ: usullar🇷🇺RU: методы was called sfumato, which means “soft” or “smoky” in Italian. This gave the painting its gentle, naturalnatural (adj)Existing in nature; not artificial or forced.≈ Synonym: true-to-life🇺🇿UZ: tabiiy🇷🇺RU: естественный look.
The Mona Lisa became famous not only because of its beautybeauty (noun)The quality of being very pleasing to look at.≈ Synonym: attractiveness🇺🇿UZ: go'zallik🇷🇺RU: красота but also because of its history. In 1911, the painting was stolensteal (verb)Taken away from its owner without permission.≈ Synonym: taken illegally🇺🇿UZ: o'g'irlangan🇷🇺RU: украден(а) from the Louvre. The thiefthief (noun)A person who steals something.≈ Synonym: robber🇺🇿UZ: o'g'ri🇷🇺RU: вор was an Italian workerworker (noun)A person who does a job, especially physical or manual work.≈ Synonym: employee🇺🇿UZ: ishchi🇷🇺RU: рабочий who wanted to return the painting to Italy. After two years, the Mona Lisa was foundfind (verb)Discovered or located something that was missing.≈ Synonym: discovered🇺🇿UZ: topildi🇷🇺RU: найден(а) and returnedreturn (verb)Brought or sent something back to where it came from.≈ Synonym: brought back🇺🇿UZ: qaytarildi🇷🇺RU: возвращён(а) to Paris. This event made headlinesmake headlines (verb)Became major news that was widely reported.≈ Synonym: became big news🇺🇿UZ: gazeta sarlavhalariga chiqdi🇷🇺RU: стал главной новостью around the world and helped the painting become even more famous.
Today, the Mona Lisa is seen as a symbolsymbol (noun)Something that represents a bigger idea or quality.≈ Synonym: emblem, icon🇺🇿UZ: ramz, timsol🇷🇺RU: символ of art’s power to inspireinspire (verb)To fill someone with a feeling or idea, encouraging them.≈ Synonym: encourage, motivate🇺🇿UZ: ilhomlantirmoq🇷🇺RU: вдохновлять wonderwonder (noun)A feeling of surprise and admiration caused by something beautiful or amazing.≈ Synonym: amazement, awe🇺🇿UZ: hayrat, ajablanish🇷🇺RU: восхищение, удивление and mystery. Visitorsvisitor (noun)People who go to see or visit a place.≈ Synonym: guests🇺🇿UZ: tashrif buyuruvchilar, mehmonlar🇷🇺RU: посетители often stand in front of it for hours, trying to understand its secretssecret (noun)Facts or information that are hidden or not known to others.≈ Synonym: hidden facts🇺🇿UZ: sirlar🇷🇺RU: секреты, тайны.