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Day 25 · Environment · B1 Level

The Great Barrier Reef: A Natural Wonder

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 4-5 minutes 📖 Reading + Vocabulary ✅ 10 True / False questions
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Reading Passage

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most famous natural wondersnatural wonderAmazing things in nature that are not made by people.≈ Synonym: wonders of nature🇺🇿UZ: tabiiy mo'jizalar🇷🇺RU: природные чудеса in the world. It lies offlie off (verb)Is located near a coast or piece of land in the sea.≈ Synonym: is situated near🇺🇿UZ: (qirg'oq) yaqinida joylashgan🇷🇺RU: расположен у (побережья) the coastcoast (noun)The land next to the sea.≈ Synonym: shore🇺🇿UZ: qirg'oq, sohil🇷🇺RU: побережье of Queensland, Australia, and stretchesstretch (verb)Extends or continues over a long distance.≈ Synonym: extends🇺🇿UZ: cho'zilib ketadi🇷🇺RU: тянется over 2,300 kilometres. In fact, it is so large that it can be seen from spacespace (noun)The area outside the Earth where the stars are.🇺🇿UZ: koinot, kosmos🇷🇺RU: космос. The reef is made up of billionsbillion (noun)Numbers of one thousand million or more.≈ Synonym: huge numbers🇺🇿UZ: milliardlab🇷🇺RU: миллиарды of tinytiny (adj)Very small in size.≈ Synonym: minuscule🇺🇿UZ: mayda, juda kichik🇷🇺RU: крошечный animals called coral polypscoral polypTiny sea animals that build hard coral structures.≈ Synonym: coral organisms🇺🇿UZ: marjon poliplari🇷🇺RU: коралловые полипы. These small creaturescreature (noun)Living animals or beings.≈ Synonym: animals🇺🇿UZ: jonzotlar, mavjudotlar🇷🇺RU: существа build the hard structuresstructure (noun)Things that are built or made of connected parts.≈ Synonym: formations🇺🇿UZ: tuzilmalar🇷🇺RU: структуры we know as coral reefs.

The Great Barrier Reef is home to an incredibleincredible (adj)So great or extreme that it is hard to believe.≈ Synonym: amazing🇺🇿UZ: ishonib bo'lmaydigan darajada katta🇷🇺RU: невероятный varietyvariety (noun)A number of different types of something.≈ Synonym: range🇺🇿UZ: xilma-xillik🇷🇺RU: разнообразие of life. More than 1,500 kinds of fish, 400 types of coral, and many other animals, such as sea turtlesturtle (noun)A sea animal with a hard shell.🇺🇿UZ: toshbaqa (dengiz)🇷🇺RU: черепаха, sharks, and dolphins, live there. It is one of the most beautiful and diversediverse (adj)Including many different types or kinds.≈ Synonym: varied🇺🇿UZ: rang-barang, xilma-xil🇷🇺RU: разнообразный ecosystemsecosystem (noun)Communities of living things interacting with their environment.≈ Synonym: natural systems🇺🇿UZ: ekotizimlar🇷🇺RU: экосистемы on Earth, attractingattract (verb)Drawing people's interest or attention to come to a place.≈ Synonym: drawing🇺🇿UZ: jalb qilmoqda🇷🇺RU: привлекая millions of visitorsvisitor (noun)A person who comes to see a place or a person.≈ Synonym: guest🇺🇿UZ: tashrif buyuruvchi, mehmon🇷🇺RU: посетитель each year. People come to see its colourfulcolourful (adj)Having many bright colours.≈ Synonym: vibrant🇺🇿UZ: rang-barang🇷🇺RU: красочный corals and swimswim (verb)To move through water using your arms and legs.🇺🇿UZ: suzmoq🇷🇺RU: плавать among its amazing sea creatures.

However, the Great Barrier Reef is under threatunder threatIn danger of being harmed or destroyed.≈ Synonym: at risk🇺🇿UZ: xavf ostida🇷🇺RU: под угрозой. Climate change is one of the biggest dangersdanger (noun)Something that can cause harm.≈ Synonym: threat🇺🇿UZ: xavf🇷🇺RU: опасность it faces. As the world’s oceans get warmerwarm (adj)A little hot.🇺🇿UZ: iliq(roq)🇷🇺RU: тёплый, the coral becomes stressedstressed (adj)Under pressure or strain, and not in a healthy state.≈ Synonym: under stress🇺🇿UZ: stressga uchragan, zo'riqqan🇷🇺RU: подвергшийся стрессу. This can lead to a problem called coral bleachingbleaching (noun)The process of losing colour, often because of damage or stress.≈ Synonym: whitening🇺🇿UZ: rangsizlanish🇷🇺RU: обесцвечивание. When this happens, the coral loseslose (verb)To stop having something.🇺🇿UZ: yo'qotmoq🇷🇺RU: терять its colourcolour (noun)Red, blue, green, etc.🇺🇿UZ: rang🇷🇺RU: цвет and may die if the water stays too warm for too long. Pollution from farmingfarming (noun)The activity of growing crops or raising animals for food.≈ Synonym: agriculture🇺🇿UZ: dehqonchilik, fermerchilik🇷🇺RU: сельское хозяйство and fishing also harmsharm (verb)Causes damage to.≈ Synonym: damages🇺🇿UZ: zarar yetkazadi🇷🇺RU: вредит the reef. Chemicalschemical (noun)Substances used or produced in a chemical process.≈ Synonym: chemical substances🇺🇿UZ: kimyoviy moddalar🇷🇺RU: химические вещества and wastewaste (noun)Unwanted material that is thrown away.≈ Synonym: rubbish🇺🇿UZ: chiqindi🇷🇺RU: отходы that enter the sea can damagedamage (verb)To harm or break something.≈ Synonym: harm🇺🇿UZ: zarar yetkazmoq🇷🇺RU: повреждать the delicate balancedelicate balanceA fragile state in which different things stay evenly and carefully arranged.≈ Synonym: fragile equilibrium🇺🇿UZ: nozik muvozanat🇷🇺RU: хрупкое равновесие of the reef’s ecosystem.

Australia and international organisationsorganisation (noun)Groups of people who work together for a particular purpose.≈ Synonym: organizations🇺🇿UZ: tashkilotlar🇷🇺RU: организации are working to protect the reef. Effortseffort (noun)Attempts or hard work aimed at achieving something.≈ Synonym: attempts🇺🇿UZ: harakatlar, sa'y-harakatlar🇷🇺RU: усилия include reducingreduce (verb)Making something smaller or less in amount.≈ Synonym: decreasing🇺🇿UZ: kamaytirish🇷🇺RU: сокращение, уменьшение pollutionpollution (noun)Harmful substances that damage the air, water, or land.≈ Synonym: contamination🇺🇿UZ: ifloslanish🇷🇺RU: загрязнение, controllingcontrol (verb)Limiting or managing something.≈ Synonym: regulating🇺🇿UZ: nazorat qilish🇷🇺RU: контроль, регулирование fishing, and helping coral recoverrecover (verb)To return to a normal, healthy state after damage.≈ Synonym: heal🇺🇿UZ: tiklanmoq🇷🇺RU: восстанавливаться from damage. Scientists are also studying ways to help coral survivesurvive (verb)To continue to live despite difficult conditions.≈ Synonym: endure🇺🇿UZ: omon qolmoq, yashab qolmoq🇷🇺RU: выживать in warmer waters.

The Great Barrier Reef is not only a natural wonder, but also an important part of our planet’s environment. By protecting it, we help protect the ocean and all the life that depends ondepend on (verb)Needs something else in order to exist or succeed.≈ Synonym: relies on🇺🇿UZ: bog'liq bo'lmoq🇷🇺RU: зависит от it.

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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
      natural wonder
      tabiiy mo'jizalarприродные чудесаThe Charyn Canyon is a stunning natural wonder.
      2
      lie offverb
      (qirg'oq) yaqinida joylashganрасположен у (побережья)Several small islands lie off the coast.
      3
      coastnoun
      qirg'oq, sohilпобережьеWe drove along the coast to the next town.
      4
      stretchverb
      cho'zilib ketadiтянетсяThe beach stretches for miles along the coast.
      5
      spacenoun
      koinot, kosmosкосмосYuri Gagarin was the first man in space.
      6
      billionnoun
      milliardlabмиллиардыThere are about eight billion people in the world.
      7
      tinyadjective
      mayda, juda kichikкрошечныйA tiny insect landed on my book.
      8
      coral polyp
      marjon poliplariкоралловые полипыEach coral polyp is smaller than a fingernail.
      9
      creaturenoun
      jonzotlar, mavjudotlarсуществаStrange creatures live at the bottom of the ocean.
      10
      structurenoun
      tuzilmalarструктурыThe bridge is a huge steel structure.
      11
      incredibleadjective
      ishonib bo'lmaydigan darajada kattaневероятныйThe view from the plane was incredible.
      12
      varietynoun
      xilma-xillikразнообразиеThe shop has a wide variety of shoes.
      13
      turtlenoun
      toshbaqa (dengiz)черепахаWe saw a sea turtle while swimming.
      14
      diverseadjective
      rang-barang, xilma-xilразнообразныйTashkent is a diverse city with many cultures.
      15
      ecosystemnoun
      ekotizimlarэкосистемыCutting down forests damages the whole ecosystem.
      16
      attractverb
      jalb qilmoqdaпривлекаяThe festival attracts thousands of tourists every year.
      17
      visitornoun
      tashrif buyuruvchi, mehmonпосетительThousands of visitors come to Khiva every summer.
      18
      colourfuladjective
      rang-barangкрасочныйThe bazaar was full of colourful fabrics.
      19
      swimverb
      suzmoqплаватьI learned to swim when I was six.
      20
      under threat
      xavf ostidaпод угрозойMany old buildings are under threat from new construction.
      21
      dangernoun
      xavfопасностьClimate change is a great danger to coral reefs.
      22
      warmadjective
      iliq(roq)тёплыйThe weather is getting warmer every day.
      23
      stressedadjective
      stressga uchragan, zo'riqqanподвергшийся стрессуPlants get stressed when there isn't enough water.
      24
      bleachingnoun
      rangsizlanishобесцвечиваниеCoral bleaching turns the reef white.
      25
      loseverb
      yo'qotmoqтерятьTrees lose their leaves in autumn.
      26
      colournoun
      rangцветWhat's your favourite colour?
      27
      farmingnoun
      dehqonchilik, fermerchilikсельское хозяйствоModern farming uses a lot of water.
      28
      harmverb
      zarar yetkazadiвредитLoud music can harm your hearing.
      29
      chemicalnoun
      kimyoviy moddalarхимические веществаDon't use strong chemicals to clean the table.
      30
      wastenoun
      chiqindiотходыThe factory dumped its waste into the river.
      31
      damageverb
      zarar yetkazmoqповреждатьToo much sun can damage your skin.
      32
      delicate balance
      nozik muvozanatхрупкое равновесиеEven small changes can upset the delicate balance of nature.
      33
      organisationnoun
      tashkilotlarорганизацииShe volunteers for an organisation that plants trees.
      34
      effortnoun
      harakatlar, sa'y-harakatlarусилияThanks to everyone's effort, the park is clean again.
      35
      reduceverb
      kamaytirishсокращение, уменьшениеWe need to reduce the amount of plastic we use.
      36
      pollutionnoun
      ifloslanishзагрязнениеHeavy traffic causes a lot of air pollution.
      37
      controlverb
      nazorat qilishконтроль, регулированиеThe government wants to control the number of cars in the centre.
      38
      recoververb
      tiklanmoqвосстанавливатьсяIt took him two weeks to recover from the flu.
      39
      surviveverb
      omon qolmoq, yashab qolmoqвыживатьOnly a few trees survived the fire.
      40
      depend onverb
      bog'liq bo'lmoqзависит отMillions of people depend on the river for water.