71
BUILDING BRIDGES
7.3
GRAMMAR
THE PASSIVE (2)
7
a
Look again at the article and underline examples of
the past simple passive and the present perfect simple
passive. How are they formed?
7
b
Look at sentences 1 and 2 from the article. Match
them with forms a and b.
1
Fifty workers lost their lives while the bridge was
being built across the 68-metre-wide and 120-metre-
deep Tojo Gorge.
2
... It took 40 years for it to be completed before it
finally opened in 1793.
a
passive infinitive
b
past continuous passive
Ê
Language reference and extra practice, pages 126–149
8
Correct the mistakes in bold in the report.
Complaints
1
have received
about the recent
construction of the Sheridan Hotel. It
2
was completing
in November last year. While it
3
was constructing
, many
residents and business people of the town suffered great
inconvenience. Building materials
4
were delivering
at
all hours of the day and night, and the noise level was
unbearable. When the foundations
5
were digging
, the
air became polluted and the streets were very dusty.
Complaints
6
were making
daily to the Council, but
nothing
7
was doing
. As a result, several shops
8
have
been closed
for some weeks during the worst period and
now several claims for compensation
9
have received
by
the Council. The hotel
10
has now built
and the Council
is meeting next week to discuss the complaints and
what
11
is be done
about compensation. We expect the
conclusions
12
to publish
by the end of the month.
9
a
Look at examples 1 and 2 of the passive. Match
them with uses a and b.
1
The
‘
Gherkin’ is an impressive example of modern
architecture. It was designed by Lord Foster and
Ken Shuttleworth.
2
Many tourists have been impressed by the strange-
shaped building in the City of London.
a
It is more natural to put subjects which consist of a
long expression at the end of a sentence.
b
We prefer to start a new sentence with a familiar
subject (something already mentioned).
9
b
Look at the highlighted passives in the article.
Which use from Exercise 9a does each one illustrate?
SPEAKING AND WRITING
10
Work with a partner. You have a photo of
one bridge and information about two. Share your
information, then write a paragraph about your bridge.
Student A:
look at page 155.
Student B:
look at page 158.
it wasn’t an easy task. Fifty workers lost their lives while
the bridge was being built across the 68-metre-wide and
120-metre-deep Tojo Gorge.
•
The Storseisundet Bridge is one of eight bridges on
Norway’s Atlantic Road connecting the mainland to the
island of Averøya. The bridge was opened in 1989 and it
isn’t particularly long or high, with a length of 260 metres
and a height of 23 metres but it has been designed so that,
as you approach from one direction, it seems to disappear
into mid-air. Although not as dangerous as it looks, it is easy
to misjudge the curve in the bridge and accidents aren’t
unknown.
•
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are linked by the 25km long King
Fahad Causeway road bridge. The bridge has crossed the
Arabian Gulf of Bahrain since 1986 and the border between
the two countries lies on an artificial island in the middle of
the gulf. Some people just drive as far as the island to admire
the views, eat at one of the restaurants and then return
home without crossing the border at all. Recently, speed
cameras have been installed on the bridge and drivers who
exceed the speed limit are notified immediately by SMS.
•
The Øresund Bridge links Sweden and Denmark. It has two
levels, a higher one for cars and a lower one for trains. 8km
from Sweden, it reaches the island of Peberholm and, from
there for the last 4km to Denmark, it becomes a tunnel.
Since it was opened in 2000, many Danes have bought
homes in Sweden, where prices are lower, and use the
bridge to travel to work.
Charles Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
