Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage
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Long before people used coins or paper bills, they traded goods directly. This system is called barteringbarter (noun)The activity of exchanging goods or services directly, without using money.≈ Synonym: trading🇺🇿UZ: ayirboshlash, barter qilish🇷🇺RU: бартер, натуральный обмен, and it means exchangingexchange (verb)Giving one thing and receiving another thing in return.≈ Synonym: trading🇺🇿UZ: almashtirish🇷🇺RU: обменивать one item for another without using money. For example, a farmer might trade wheat for shoes. Bartering worked well in small communities, but it had one big problem: both people needed to want what the other person had. This is known as the double coincidence of wantsdouble coincidence of wants (econ. term)A situation where two people each have exactly what the other one wants, which bartering requires.≈ Synonym: matching needs🇺🇿UZ: istaklarning ikki tomonlama mos kelishi🇷🇺RU: двойное совпадение потребностей, and it made trade slow and difficult.
To solve this problem, ancient societiesancient society (noun)Groups of people who lived a very long time ago.≈ Synonym: early civilizations🇺🇿UZ: qadimgi jamiyatlar🇷🇺RU: древние общества began using objects that everyone valuedvalue (verb)Considered something important or worth a lot.≈ Synonym: prized🇺🇿UZ: qadrlangan🇷🇺RU: ценили, such as shells, salt, or precious metalsprecious metal (noun)Rare and valuable metals such as gold and silver.≈ Synonym: valuable metals🇺🇿UZ: qimmatbaho metallar🇷🇺RU: драгоценные металлы. Around 600 BCE, the kingdomkingdom (noun)A country or region ruled by a king or queen.≈ Synonym: realm🇺🇿UZ: podsholik🇷🇺RU: королевство of Lydia created some of the first metal coins. Coins were easy to carry, hard to fake, and could be divided into smaller amounts. Soon, many civilizationscivilization (noun)Large human societies with their own culture and organization.≈ Synonym: societies🇺🇿UZ: sivilizatsiyalar🇷🇺RU: цивилизации adoptedadopt (verb)Started to use a new method or system.≈ Synonym: embraced🇺🇿UZ: qabul qilingan, joriy qilingan🇷🇺RU: приняли, ввели в использование coins as a standard currencycurrency (noun)The money that is used in a particular country.≈ Synonym: money🇺🇿UZ: valyuta, pul birligi🇷🇺RU: валюта, making buying and selling simpler.
Centuries later, paper money appeared, first in China during the Tang and Song dynastiesdynasty (noun)Series of rulers from the same family who governed over a long period.≈ Synonym: royal families🇺🇿UZ: sulolalar🇷🇺RU: династии. Instead of carrying heavy bags of coins, merchantsmerchant (noun)People who buy and sell goods, often in large amounts.≈ Synonym: traders🇺🇿UZ: savdogarlar🇷🇺RU: торговцы, купцы could use lightweightlightweight (adj)Not heavy; easy to carry.≈ Synonym: light🇺🇿UZ: yengil (og'irlik jihatidan)🇷🇺RU: лёгкий, нетяжёлый paper notes that represented a certain value. Governments eventually took control oftake control of (phrase)Started to manage or be responsible for something.≈ Synonym: took charge of🇺🇿UZ: nazoratga oldi🇷🇺RU: взяли под контроль printing money, and paper currency spread tospread to (phrase)Moved to and became common in a new place.≈ Synonym: expanded to🇺🇿UZ: tarqaldi🇷🇺RU: распространилась в Europe and beyond. People had to trusttrust (verb)To believe that something or someone is reliable.≈ Synonym: believe in🇺🇿UZ: ishonish🇷🇺RU: доверять that the paper itself, though not valuable alone, could be exchanged for real goods and services.
Today, many transactionstransaction (noun)Acts of buying, selling, or exchanging something.≈ Synonym: deals🇺🇿UZ: operatsiyalar, tranzaksiyalar🇷🇺RU: транзакции, сделки happen without any physical cash at all. Digital paymentsdigital payment (noun)Payments made electronically instead of with cash.≈ Synonym: electronic payments🇺🇿UZ: raqamli to'lovlar🇷🇺RU: цифровые платежи, such as bank transfersbank transfer (noun)Moving money electronically from one bank account to another.≈ Synonym: wire transfers🇺🇿UZ: bank o'tkazmalari🇷🇺RU: банковские переводы, credit cardscredit card (noun)Plastic cards that let people borrow money to pay for things.≈ Synonym: charge cards🇺🇿UZ: kredit kartalar🇷🇺RU: кредитные карты, and mobile appsmobile app (noun)Software programs used on phones or tablets.≈ Synonym: phone applications🇺🇿UZ: mobil ilovalar🇷🇺RU: мобильные приложения, allow people to send money instantlyinstantly (adv)Immediately, without any delay.≈ Synonym: immediately🇺🇿UZ: darhol, bir zumda🇷🇺RU: мгновенно. This convenienceconvenience (noun)The quality of being easy and useful.≈ Synonym: ease🇺🇿UZ: qulaylik🇷🇺RU: удобство has changed how businesses operateoperate (verb)Work or function in a particular way.≈ Synonym: function🇺🇿UZ: ishlash, faoliyat yuritish🇷🇺RU: функционировать, работать and how people manage their daily expensesexpense (noun)The money that a person spends on something.≈ Synonym: costs🇺🇿UZ: xarajatlar🇷🇺RU: расходы. However, digital money also brings new challenges, including the risk of cybercrimecybercrime (noun)Crime committed using computers or the internet.≈ Synonym: online crime🇺🇿UZ: kiberjinoyat🇷🇺RU: киберпреступность and the need for reliablereliable (adj)Able to be trusted to work well.≈ Synonym: dependable🇺🇿UZ: ishonchli🇷🇺RU: надёжный internet access.
Despite these changes, the basic purposepurpose (noun)The reason why something exists or is done.≈ Synonym: aim🇺🇿UZ: maqsad🇷🇺RU: цель, назначение of money has stayed the same throughout history. It gives people a simple, trusted way to measure valuemeasure value (phrase)To judge or calculate how much something is worth.≈ Synonym: assess worth🇺🇿UZ: qiymatni o'lchash🇷🇺RU: измерять ценность and exchange goods without needing a direct match of wants. From shells and coins to paper bills and digital wallets, each new form of money has made trade faster and more convenientconvenient (adj)Easy to use or do; not causing problems.≈ Synonym: easy🇺🇿UZ: qulay🇷🇺RU: удобный.