6 Lisa and her brother are preparing for their presentation of Russia.
They have some interesting facts about their country.
a) Read the facts and use the context to guess the meaning of the underlined words.
b) Put the verbs in brackets in the right form of the Passive Voice.
Model: About one-eighth of the land area of the Earth (take) by Russia, the world's largest country.— About one-eighth of the land area of the Earth is taken by Russia, the world's largest country.
1. Forty-two per cent of the territory of Europe and nineteen per cent of the territory of Asia (take up) by Russia, the largest country in the world.
2. Russia (populate) by 142 million people.
3. The Russian Federation (establish) in 1991.
4. Russian is the official language of the country, although more than a hundred languages (speak) in its territory.
5. Russian (write) with the Cyrillic alphabet, not the Latin alphabet which (use) by most Western countries.
6. Russia (comprise) of 83 federal regions.
7. About seventy-five per cent of the population of Russia (make up) of people of Slavic origin, such as Russians, Byelorussians and Ukrainians.
8. The territory of Russia (make up) of 11 time zones.
9. Russia (border) by North Korea, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway. Russia is also not very far from Japan, Turkey, Denmark, Sweden, and the US state of Alaska.
10. Russia and the USA (separate) by just 4 kilometres at their nearest points.
11. Alaska, which became a US state in 1867, (sell) to the USA by the Russian Empire for about $111 million in today's dollars.
12. Before the October Socialist Revolution in 1917, Russia (rule") by tsars. Nowadays it (govern) by the President.
13. Some of Russia's holidays and traditions (observe) throughout the centuries. Nowadays new holidays and traditions (establish) as well.
14. Christmas (celebrate) on 7 January according to the old Julian calendar.
15. One of the ceremonies (call) "Kolyadki". During the ceremony a snowman (make) with a carrot nose.
16. European chronology, which started with the birth of Christ, (bring) to Russia by Peter the Great. The calendar (change) again in 1917 when the Bolsheviks introduced the Gregorian calendar in Russia.
17. On 9 May Victory Day (celebrate . This day marks the final surrender by Nazi Germany to the USSR in World War П. It is one of the most respected public holidays in Russia. A big parade (hold) in Red Square, war veterans (invite) and a wartime solidarity (re-experience .
18. Moscow, the capital of Russia, which (populate) by 11 million people, is Europe's largest city.
19. Moscow (found) by Yuri Dolgorukiy.
20. Moscow is famous for its beautiful Underground. When the Metro first (open , only 13 stations (finish . Nowadays there are over 150 stations. Recently the first station (open) outside the road of MKAD and more stations (build .
21. One of Moscow's most famous monuments, a monument to Pushkin on Tverskaya Street, (move) to its current place only about 50 years ago. Originally it (situate) on the other side of the street.
22. Seven of Moscow's buildings: two hotels, two administrative buildings, two blocks of flats, and Moscow State University, look exactly the same. These buildings (order) by Stalin himself and (design) by the architect Lev Rudnev.
23. The 264-metre "Triumph Palace" in Moscow is the tallest block of flats in Europe. Its height (record) in the Guinness Book of Records.
24. Moscow University (establish) by the Russian Empress Elizabeth I at the advice of Ivan Shuvalov and Mikhail Lomonosov on 25 January (12 January, old style , 1755. This day still (celebrate) as Students' Day in Russia. The first lectures at the university (hold) on 26 April.
25. The last five Fields Medals (award) to Russian scientists. The Fields Medal often (describe) as the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics".
They have some interesting facts about their country.
a) Read the facts and use the context to guess the meaning of the underlined words.
b) Put the verbs in brackets in the right form of the Passive Voice.
Model: About one-eighth of the land area of the Earth (take) by Russia, the world's largest country.— About one-eighth of the land area of the Earth is taken by Russia, the world's largest country.
1. Forty-two per cent of the territory of Europe and nineteen per cent of the territory of Asia (take up) by Russia, the largest country in the world.
2. Russia (populate) by 142 million people.
3. The Russian Federation (establish) in 1991.
4. Russian is the official language of the country, although more than a hundred languages (speak) in its territory.
5. Russian (write) with the Cyrillic alphabet, not the Latin alphabet which (use) by most Western countries.
6. Russia (comprise) of 83 federal regions.
7. About seventy-five per cent of the population of Russia (make up) of people of Slavic origin, such as Russians, Byelorussians and Ukrainians.
8. The territory of Russia (make up) of 11 time zones.
9. Russia (border) by North Korea, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway. Russia is also not very far from Japan, Turkey, Denmark, Sweden, and the US state of Alaska.
10. Russia and the USA (separate) by just 4 kilometres at their nearest points.
11. Alaska, which became a US state in 1867, (sell) to the USA by the Russian Empire for about $111 million in today's dollars.
12. Before the October Socialist Revolution in 1917, Russia (rule") by tsars. Nowadays it (govern) by the President.
13. Some of Russia's holidays and traditions (observe) throughout the centuries. Nowadays new holidays and traditions (establish) as well.
14. Christmas (celebrate) on 7 January according to the old Julian calendar.
15. One of the ceremonies (call) "Kolyadki". During the ceremony a snowman (make) with a carrot nose.
16. European chronology, which started with the birth of Christ, (bring) to Russia by Peter the Great. The calendar (change) again in 1917 when the Bolsheviks introduced the Gregorian calendar in Russia.
17. On 9 May Victory Day (celebrate . This day marks the final surrender by Nazi Germany to the USSR in World War П. It is one of the most respected public holidays in Russia. A big parade (hold) in Red Square, war veterans (invite) and a wartime solidarity (re-experience .
18. Moscow, the capital of Russia, which (populate) by 11 million people, is Europe's largest city.
19. Moscow (found) by Yuri Dolgorukiy.
20. Moscow is famous for its beautiful Underground. When the Metro first (open , only 13 stations (finish . Nowadays there are over 150 stations. Recently the first station (open) outside the road of MKAD and more stations (build .
21. One of Moscow's most famous monuments, a monument to Pushkin on Tverskaya Street, (move) to its current place only about 50 years ago. Originally it (situate) on the other side of the street.
22. Seven of Moscow's buildings: two hotels, two administrative buildings, two blocks of flats, and Moscow State University, look exactly the same. These buildings (order) by Stalin himself and (design) by the architect Lev Rudnev.
23. The 264-metre "Triumph Palace" in Moscow is the tallest block of flats in Europe. Its height (record) in the Guinness Book of Records.
24. Moscow University (establish) by the Russian Empress Elizabeth I at the advice of Ivan Shuvalov and Mikhail Lomonosov on 25 January (12 January, old style , 1755. This day still (celebrate) as Students' Day in Russia. The first lectures at the university (hold) on 26 April.
25. The last five Fields Medals (award) to Russian scientists. The Fields Medal often (describe) as the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics".