Has the Tortoise Finished Yet?

Story 34 of 80

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Highlighted words are key vocabulary — tap one to see its translation. Colors show the part of speech:

Verb Adjective Adverb Expression

Good afternoon from the forest road, and what an afternoon! The race has just started, and the hare is gone. Gone!

He has already reached the top of the hill. Have you ever seen anything like it? Behind him, the tortoise hasn't passed the first tree yet.

Ten minutes later. The hare has stopped. Yes — he has found a soft place in the shade and he is lying down. He has never lost a race in his life, and today he has decided to sleep.

Half an hour later. The tortoise is still walking. He still hasn't looked back once. I have honestly never watched anything so slow, and I have commentated on the snail championship.

An hour later. Nothing has changed. The hare is asleep. The tortoise is walking.

Wait. Something has happened! The hare has just woken up! He has seen the sun — it is low — and he is running, he is flying, the dust is behind him like smoke

— but the tortoise has already crossed the finish line.

The forest is quiet. The hare hasn't said a word yet.

Friends, in forty years at this microphone I have never seen a fast runner lose to a slow one. But I have often seen a runner who stopped lose to a runner who didn't.

Vocabulary from this story

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race
poyga
hare
quyon
tortoise
toshbaqa
soft
yumshoq
shade
soya
honestly
rostini aytsam
commentated
sharh berdim
snail
shilliqqurt
dust
chang
smoke
tutun
finish line
marra chizigʻi

Grammar from this story

Key patterns that appeared in the text.

already (+) · yet (− and ?)

already — kutilganidan tez, tasdiq gapda, feʼl oldida. yet — hozirgacha boʻlmagan; inkor va savolda, gap oxirida: He hasn't passed the first tree yet.

  • The hare has already reached the top of the hill.
  • Has the tortoise finished yet?

just = a moment ago · still = it goes on

just — hozirgina boʻldi (has just woken up). still — holat davom etadi; still hasn't shakli hayrat qoʻshadi: hali ham emas!

  • The hare has just woken up!
  • The tortoise still hasn't looked back.

ever / never = life experience

Savolda ever: “umringizda biror marta?” — Have you ever seen…? Javobda never, va u oʻzi inkor: I have never losthaven't never xato.

  • Have you ever seen a race like this?
  • The hare has never lost a race.

Check your understanding

Read the story, then choose the best answer. Tap a choice to check it.

1. Why does the hare lose?

2. Which sentence is correct?

3. What is the commentator's last idea?