Question

Exercise 2. Translate the text. Find and explain the Passive Voice forms. Many great cities of the world were built hundreds of years ago. During their long history some of them were destroyed several times for one reason or another, and then rebuilt. London, for instance, was burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666. When Napoleon’s army entered Moscow in 1812, the city was nearly empty and in flames. Most of the houses were soon destroyed by the fire, and many were badly damaged. A lot of beautiful cities were left in ruins after the World Wars. Serious damage is done to cities and villages by floods, hurricanes and earthquakes and still more by wars and industrial pollution.

Answer 1

Ответ:

Много великих городов было построено сотни лет назад. На протяжении их долгой истории некоторые из них были уничтожены по той или иной причине, а затем восстановлены. Лондон, к примеру, был сожжен во время Великого пожара 1666 года. Когда в 1812 году армия Наполеона вошла в Москву, город был почти пуст и в огне. Большинство домов были вскоре разрушены пожаром, а многие были сильно повреждены. Много красивых городов осталось в руинах после мировых войн. Серьезный ущерб наносится городам и селам в результате наводнений, ураганов и землетрясений, а также в результате войн и промышленного загрязнения.

Answer 2

Translation:

Muitas grandes cidades do mundo foram construídas centenas de anos atrás. Durante sua longa história, algumas delas foram destruídas várias vezes por um motivo ou outro, e depois reconstruídas. Londres, por exemplo, foi incendiada no Grande Incêndio de 1666. Quando o exército de Napoleão entrou em Moscou em 1812, a cidade estava quase vazia e em chamas. A maioria das casas foi logo destruída pelo fogo, e muitas ficaram gravemente danificadas. Muitas cidades bonitas foram deixadas em ruínas após as Guerras Mundiais. Danos sérios são causados ​​a cidades e vilas por inundações, furacões e terremotos e ainda mais por guerras e poluição industrial.

Explanation of Passive Voice forms:

1. "were built" - This is the passive voice form of the verb "to build." The sentence in active voice would be "People built many great cities of the world hundreds of years ago," where "people" is the subject performing the action. In the passive construction, the subject is not specified, but we know that something (unspecified) performed the action of building the cities.

2. "were destroyed" - This is the passive voice form of the verb "to destroy." In active voice, it would be "Someone destroyed them," where "someone" is the subject performing the action. In the passive voice, the subject is not specified, but we know that something (unspecified) caused the destruction of the cities.

3. "was burnt down" - This is the passive voice form of the verb "to burn down." The active voice sentence would be "The Great Fire of 1666 burnt down London." In the passive construction, the subject is not mentioned, but we understand that the fire was responsible for the action of burning down London.

4. "were left" - This is the passive voice form of the verb "to leave." The active voice sentence would be "The World Wars left a lot of beautiful cities in ruins." In the passive construction, the subject is not specified, but we know that the World Wars were the cause of leaving the cities in ruins.

5. "is done" - This is the passive voice form of the verb "to do." The active voice sentence would be "Floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes do serious damage to cities and villages." In the passive voice, the subject is not mentioned, but we understand that serious damage is caused by floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes.