Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
Any word, any time — right from this page.
In the middle of the twentieth century, two powerful nations, the United States and the Soviet Union, competed fiercelycompete fiercelyTried very hard and aggressively to win against someone.≈ Synonym: struggled intensely against each other🇺🇿UZ: shiddat bilan raqobatlashdi🇷🇺RU: яростно соперничали to achieveachieve (verb)To successfully complete or reach something through effort.≈ Synonym: to accomplish🇺🇿UZ: erishmoq🇷🇺RU: достигать incredible featsfeat (noun)Impressive achievements that require great skill or effort.≈ Synonym: impressive achievements🇺🇿UZ: yutuqlar, jasoratlar🇷🇺RU: подвиги, достижения in space. This competition became known as the Space Race, and it was closely connected to the tensiontension (noun)A feeling of unfriendliness or unease between people or countries.≈ Synonym: strain, unease🇺🇿UZ: keskinlik🇷🇺RU: напряжённость between the two countries during the Cold WarCold WarThe long period of political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union without direct fighting.≈ Synonym: era of US-Soviet rivalry🇺🇿UZ: Sovuq urush🇷🇺RU: холодная война. Both nations wanted to prove that their technology and their political systempolitical systemThe way a country is governed and organized.≈ Synonym: system of government🇺🇿UZ: siyosiy tizim🇷🇺RU: политическая система were the best in the world.
The Soviet Union took an early lead. In 1957, it launchedlaunch (verb)Sent something, such as a rocket or satellite, into space or into use.≈ Synonym: sent up, released🇺🇿UZ: uchirdi🇷🇺RU: запустил Sputnik, the first artificial satelliteartificial satelliteA man-made object sent into space to orbit the Earth.≈ Synonym: man-made object orbiting Earth🇺🇿UZ: sun'iy yo'ldosh🇷🇺RU: искусственный спутник to orbitorbit (verb)To travel in a circular path around a planet or star.≈ Synonym: to circle around🇺🇿UZ: aylanib chiqmoq🇷🇺RU: вращаться по орбите the Earth. A few years later, in 1961, a Soviet cosmonautcosmonaut (noun)A Russian or Soviet astronaut, a person trained to travel in space.≈ Synonym: Soviet/Russian astronaut🇺🇿UZ: kosmonavt🇷🇺RU: космонавт named Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space. These achievements shockedshock (verb)Surprised someone very strongly, often unpleasantly.≈ Synonym: surprised strongly🇺🇿UZ: hayratga soldi, shokka tushirdi🇷🇺RU: шокировали many Americans and pushed the United States to invest heavilyinvest heavilyTo put a very large amount of money or effort into something.≈ Synonym: spend large amounts of money/effort🇺🇿UZ: katta mablag' sarflamoq🇷🇺RU: вкладывать значительные средства in its own space program.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set an ambitiousambitious (adj)Having a strong desire to achieve something difficult.≈ Synonym: determined to achieve something big🇺🇿UZ: shiddatli, katta maqsadli🇷🇺RU: амбициозный goal: to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decadedecade (noun)A period of ten years.≈ Synonym: ten-year period🇺🇿UZ: o'n yillik🇷🇺RU: десятилетие. This required enormous effortenormous effortA very large amount of hard work.≈ Synonym: great amount of hard work🇺🇿UZ: ulkan mehnat🇷🇺RU: огромные усилия from thousands of scientists, engineers, and astronautsastronaut (noun)People trained to travel and work in space.≈ Synonym: space travelers🇺🇿UZ: kosmonavtlar, astronavtlar🇷🇺RU: астронавты working for NASA, the American space agency. They had to design powerful rockets, safe spacecraftspacecraft (noun)A vehicle designed to travel in space.≈ Synonym: space vehicle🇺🇿UZ: kosmik kema🇷🇺RU: космический корабль, and reliablereliable (adj)Able to be trusted to work well.≈ Synonym: dependable, trustworthy🇺🇿UZ: ishonchli🇷🇺RU: надёжный equipment capable of surviving the harsh conditionsharsh conditionsVery difficult and unpleasant environmental circumstances.≈ Synonym: extreme, difficult environment🇺🇿UZ: og'ir sharoitlar🇷🇺RU: суровые условия of space.
On July 20, 1969, the missionmission (noun)An important task or journey with a specific purpose, especially in space travel.≈ Synonym: important planned task🇺🇿UZ: missiya🇷🇺RU: миссия Apollo 11 succeededsucceed (verb)Achieved the desired result or goal.≈ Synonym: was successful🇺🇿UZ: muvaffaqiyatga erishdi🇷🇺RU: преуспела, увенчалась успехом. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon, followed shortly by Buzz Aldrin. Millions of people around the world watched the event on television, amazedamazed (adj)Filled with great surprise or wonder.≈ Synonym: astonished🇺🇿UZ: hayratda qolgan🇷🇺RU: изумлённый by what humans had accomplishedaccomplish (verb)Successfully completed or achieved.≈ Synonym: achieved, completed🇺🇿UZ: amalga oshirgan🇷🇺RU: совершили, достигли. Armstrong's famous words about a small step became known across the globe.
The Moon landing mattered for reasons beyond national pride. It proved that with enough determinationdetermination (noun)A firm decision to keep trying to do something despite difficulty.≈ Synonym: firm resolve🇺🇿UZ: qat'iyat🇷🇺RU: решимость, humans could overcomeovercome (verb)To successfully deal with or defeat a difficulty.≈ Synonym: to defeat, to conquer🇺🇿UZ: yengib o'tmoq🇷🇺RU: преодолевать extraordinaryextraordinary (adj)Very unusual or remarkable.≈ Synonym: remarkable, exceptional🇺🇿UZ: g'ayrioddiy, ajoyib🇷🇺RU: необычайный challenges. The technology developed during the Space Race also led to countlesscountless (adj)Too many to be counted; very numerous.≈ Synonym: innumerable, very many🇺🇿UZ: son-sanoqsiz🇷🇺RU: бесчисленный inventionsinvention (noun)New things that have been created or designed.≈ Synonym: new creations🇺🇿UZ: ixtirolar🇷🇺RU: изобретения still used today. Decades later, the achievement of Apollo 11 remains one of humanity'shumanity (noun)Belonging to all human beings as a whole.≈ Synonym: of mankind🇺🇿UZ: insoniyatning🇷🇺RU: человечества greatest accomplishments, inspiringinspire (verb)Giving someone the desire or motivation to do something.≈ Synonym: motivating, encouraging🇺🇿UZ: ilhomlantirmoqda🇷🇺RU: вдохновляя new generations to dream of exploring even farther into space.