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 Museummuseum (noun)A building where you can see old or interesting objects.≈ Synonym: gallery🇺🇿UZ: muzey🇷🇺RU: музей 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 smilesmile (noun)A happy expression when your mouth turns up.🇺🇿UZ: tabassum🇷🇺RU: улыбка. 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 wifewife (noun)The woman a man is married to.🇺🇿UZ: xotin, rafiqa🇷🇺RU: жена 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 closerclose (adv)Near in distance.≈ Synonym: near🇺🇿UZ: yaqinroq🇷🇺RU: ближе, you noticenotice (verb)To see or become aware of something.≈ Synonym: spot🇺🇿UZ: payqamoq, sezmoq🇷🇺RU: замечать 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 softsoft (adj)Not hard or sharp; gentle.≈ Synonym: gentle🇺🇿UZ: yumshoq🇷🇺RU: мягкий 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 eventevent (noun)Something important that happens.≈ Synonym: occasion🇺🇿UZ: voqea, tadbir🇷🇺RU: событие 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 assee as (phrasal)To think of someone or something in a particular way.≈ Synonym: regard as🇺🇿UZ: deb qaralmoq, hisoblanmoq🇷🇺RU: считаться, рассматриваться как 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 ofin front of (prep)Facing something; close to the front of it.≈ Synonym: before🇺🇿UZ: oldida🇷🇺RU: перед it for hours, tryingtry (verb)To make an effort to do something.≈ Synonym: attempt🇺🇿UZ: urinmoq, harakat qilmoq🇷🇺RU: пытаться to understand its secretssecret (noun)Facts or information that are hidden or not known to others.≈ Synonym: hidden facts🇺🇿UZ: sirlar🇷🇺RU: секреты, тайны.
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 | globenoun | dunyo, globus | земной шар, мир | Tourists from all over the globe visit Samarkand. |
| 2 | museumnoun | muzey | музей | We visited the history museum in Tashkent. |
| 3 | portraitnoun | portret | портрет | There's a portrait of my grandfather in our living room. |
| 4 | gentleadjective | yumshoq, mayin | нежный, мягкий | She has a gentle voice that calms the children. |
| 5 | smilenoun | tabassum | улыбка | She has a beautiful smile. |
| 6 | inventornoun | ixtirochi | изобретатель | The inventor showed his new machine at the fair. |
| 7 | believeverb | deb ishoniladi | считается, полагают | The building is believed to be over 500 years old. |
| 8 | wifenoun | xotin, rafiqa | жена | He met his wife at university. |
| 9 | merchantnoun | savdogar | торговец, купец | Rich merchants travelled along the Silk Road. |
| 10 | at first glance | birinchi qarashda | на первый взгляд | At first glance, the two pictures look the same. |
| 11 | ordinaryadjective | oddiy | обычный | It started as an ordinary day, but it ended very differently. |
| 12 | closeadverb | yaqinroq | ближе | Come closer — I can't hear you. |
| 13 | noticeverb | payqamoq, sezmoq | замечать | Did you notice her new haircut? |
| 14 | mysterynoun | sir, jumboq | тайна, загадка | Why the lights went off is still a mystery. |
| 15 | thoughtfuladjective | o'ychan | задумчивый | He looked thoughtful as he read the letter. |
| 16 | painternoun | rassom | художник | My uncle is a painter — he sells his pictures in the old city. |
| 17 | scientistnoun | olim | учёный | The scientist won a prize for her research. |
| 18 | engineernoun | muhandis | инженер | My cousin works as an engineer for a car company. |
| 19 | techniquenoun | texnikalar, usullar | техники, приёмы | The coach taught us a new technique for kicking the ball. |
| 20 | softadjective | yumshoq | мягкий | This pillow is very soft. |
| 21 | shadownoun | soyalar | тени | The trees made long shadows in the evening sun. |
| 22 | aliveadjective | tirik, jonli | живой | The fish is still alive — put it back in the water! |
| 23 | methodnoun | usullar | методы | What's the best method for learning new words? |
| 24 | naturaladjective | tabiiy | естественный | This juice has no sugar — it's completely natural. |
| 25 | beautynoun | go'zallik | красота | The beauty of the mountains took my breath away. |
| 26 | stealverb | o'g'irlangan | украден(а) | Someone stole my bike from outside the shop. |
| 27 | thiefnoun | o'g'ri | вор | The thief ran away with her handbag. |
| 28 | workernoun | ishchi | рабочий | The workers finished the building in six months. |
| 29 | findverb | topildi | найден(а) | I found my keys under the sofa. |
| 30 | returnverb | qaytarildi | возвращён(а) | Please return the book to the library by Friday. |
| 31 | eventnoun | voqea, tadbir | событие | The wedding was the biggest event of the year. |
| 32 | make headlinesverb | gazeta sarlavhalariga chiqdi | стал главной новостью | The young chess player made headlines when she beat the champion. |
| 33 | see asphrasal verb | deb qaralmoq, hisoblanmoq | считаться, рассматриваться как | Navruz is seen as the start of the new year. |
| 34 | symbolnoun | ramz, timsol | символ | The Registan is a symbol of Samarkand. |
| 35 | inspireverb | ilhomlantirmoq | вдохновлять | Nature inspires many artists. |
| 36 | wondernoun | hayrat, ajablanish | восхищение, удивление | The children stared at the elephant in wonder. |
| 37 | visitornoun | tashrif buyuruvchilar, mehmonlar | посетители | The museum gets thousands of visitors every day. |
| 38 | in front ofpreposition | oldida | перед | There is a big tree in front of our house. |
| 39 | tryverb | urinmoq, harakat qilmoq | пытаться | I'm trying to learn ten new words every day. |
| 40 | secretnoun | sirlar | секреты, тайны | The secret of good plov is patience. |