Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
More than 2,800 years ago, the people of ancientancient (adj)Belonging to a time very long ago in history.≈ Synonym: old🇺🇿UZ: qadimgi🇷🇺RU: древний Greece organized a sporting eventsporting event (noun)An organized occasion where people compete in physical activities or games.≈ Synonym: athletic competition🇺🇿UZ: sport tadbiri🇷🇺RU: спортивное мероприятие that would become one of the most famous traditionstradition (noun)Customs or beliefs passed down through many generations.≈ Synonym: customs🇺🇿UZ: an'analar🇷🇺RU: традиции in history. The first Olympic Games were held in 776 BCE in a small town called Olympia, in honor ofin honor ofAs a way of showing respect for someone or something.≈ Synonym: to honor🇺🇿UZ: sharafiga🇷🇺RU: в честь the god Zeus. Athletes from different Greek city-statescity-state (noun)Independent cities that govern themselves like small countries.≈ Synonym: independent cities🇺🇿UZ: shahar-davlatlar🇷🇺RU: города-государства traveled to Olympia to competecompete (verb)To take part in a contest, trying to win against others.≈ Synonym: contend🇺🇿UZ: musobaqalashmoq🇷🇺RU: соревноваться, and the games quickly grew into a major cultural eventcultural event (noun)An occasion connected to the customs, arts, or beliefs of a society.≈ Synonym: cultural occasion🇺🇿UZ: madaniy tadbir🇷🇺RU: культурное событие.
The ancient Olympics looked very different from the modernmodern (adj)Belonging to the present time, not the past.≈ Synonym: present-day🇺🇿UZ: zamonaviy🇷🇺RU: современный version. There were far fewer sports, including running, wrestlingwrestling (noun)A sport in which two people try to force each other to the ground.≈ Synonym: grappling🇺🇿UZ: kurash🇷🇺RU: борьба, boxing, and chariot racingchariot racing (noun)A sport in which drivers race small carts pulled by horses.≈ Synonym: cart racing🇺🇿UZ: aravachalar poygasi🇷🇺RU: гонки на колесницах. Athletes competed completely nakednaked (adj)Not wearing any clothes.≈ Synonym: unclothed🇺🇿UZ: yalang'och🇷🇺RU: обнажённый, which was normal in Greek athletic cultureathletic culture (noun)The customs and attitudes a society has about sports and physical activity.≈ Synonym: sports tradition🇺🇿UZ: sport madaniyati🇷🇺RU: спортивная культура at the time. Only free Greek men were allowed to take part; women were not permittedpermit (verb)Allowed to do something by rule or law.≈ Synonym: allowed🇺🇿UZ: ruxsat berilgan🇷🇺RU: разрешено to compete or even watch most events.
Winning at the ancient Olympics brought enormousenormous (adj)Extremely large in size or amount.≈ Synonym: huge🇺🇿UZ: juda katta🇷🇺RU: огромный honorhonor (noun)Great respect or a feeling of pride given to someone.≈ Synonym: respect🇺🇿UZ: sharaf, hurmat🇷🇺RU: честь. Champions received a simple wreathwreath (noun)A circular decoration made of leaves or flowers, often worn on the head.≈ Synonym: garland🇺🇿UZ: gulchambar🇷🇺RU: венок made of olive leavesolive leaf (noun)The leaves of the olive tree, used to make a symbolic crown.≈ Synonym: olive branches🇺🇿UZ: zaytun barglari🇷🇺RU: оливковые листья rather than gold medals, but they returned home as heroes. Some cities even tore down part of their walls to welcome a victoriousvictorious (adj)Having won a contest or battle.≈ Synonym: winning🇺🇿UZ: g'olib🇷🇺RU: победоносный athlete, believing that a city with such a champion needed no walls for protectionprotection (noun)The state of being kept safe from harm or danger.≈ Synonym: safety🇺🇿UZ: himoya🇷🇺RU: защита.
The games were held every four years, and this period became known as an OlympiadOlympiad (noun)The four-year period between one Olympic Games and the next.≈ Synonym: four-year cycle🇺🇿UZ: Olimpiada davri🇷🇺RU: олимпиада (период). During the games, a sacred trucesacred truce (noun)A holy agreement to stop fighting for a period of time.≈ Synonym: holy ceasefire🇺🇿UZ: muqaddas sulh🇷🇺RU: священное перемирие was declareddeclare (verb)Announced officially and publicly.≈ Synonym: announced🇺🇿UZ: e'lon qilindi🇷🇺RU: объявлено across Greece, allowing athletesathlete (noun)People who are trained in and compete in sports.≈ Synonym: sportspeople🇺🇿UZ: sportchilar🇷🇺RU: спортсмены and spectatorsspectator (noun)People who watch an event, such as a sports competition.≈ Synonym: onlookers🇺🇿UZ: tomoshabinlar🇷🇺RU: зрители to travel safely even if their city-states were at warat warIn a state of fighting between countries or groups.≈ Synonym: fighting🇺🇿UZ: urushda🇷🇺RU: в состоянии войны. This truce shows how important the Olympics were to ancient Greek societysociety (noun)A large group of people who live together with shared customs and laws.≈ Synonym: community🇺🇿UZ: jamiyat🇷🇺RU: общество.
The ancient Olympic Games continued for nearly twelve centuries until they were bannedban (verb)Officially forbidden or stopped by law or order.≈ Synonym: prohibited🇺🇿UZ: taqiqlangan🇷🇺RU: запрещено in 393 CE. Centuries later, in 1896, the modern Olympics revivedrevive (verb)Brought back to life or use after it had stopped.≈ Synonym: restored🇺🇿UZ: qayta tikladi🇷🇺RU: возродил the traditiontradition (noun)A custom or practice followed for a long time.≈ Synonym: custom🇺🇿UZ: an'ana🇷🇺RU: традиция, though today's games include far more sports, both men and women, and athletes from almost every country in the world. The spirit of competitioncompetition (noun)An event in which people try to win against others.≈ Synonym: contest🇺🇿UZ: musobaqa🇷🇺RU: соревнование that began in Olympia still lives on today.