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London
London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. Founded
in 55 ВС by the Romans, this city is Britain's political,
economic and cultural centre. London is the most populous city
in Europe with an official population of 7.7 million people and
has a metropolitan area with the population of between 12 and 14
million people.
London is divided into three big parts: the City, the West End
and the East End. The City of London (usually called "The City")
is a big financial and business centre. It is an independent
unit, having its own Lord Mayor and its own police force. The
Royal Exchange built in 1567 and opened by Elizabeth I is
situated there.
The West End is London's main entertainment and shopping
district, with locations such as Oxford Street, Leicester
Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus acting as tourist
magnets. The West London area is known for fashionable
residential areas such as Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and
Chelsea with very expensive property.
The eastern side of London contains the East End and East
London. The East End is the area closest to the original Port of
London, known for its high immigrant population, as well as for
being one of the poorest areas in London with slums. The
surrounding East London area is being redeveloped as part of the
Thames Gateway including the London Riverside and Lower Lea
Valley, which is being reconstructed into the Olympic Park for
the 2012 Olympic Games.
London has numerous sites which attract crowds of tourists.
Piccadilly Circus is the heart of London. On special occasions
nearly 50,000 people gather around the statue of Eros in the
centre of the Circus. This statue was erected in 1893 in honour
of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury who helped the poor. People were
shocked at the naked memorial and its creator lost his
popularity and left for another country. In 1932, however, he
received a knighthood for his masterpiece.
St. Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's creation. The
building of the cathedral began in 1675 and finished in 1710.
Visitors can go to the Whispering Gallery to enjoy its acoustic
phenomenon. The Cathedral contains a lot of fine paintings,
sculptures and other works of art. From the Stone Gallery one
can enjoy the breathtaking view of London.
The Houses of Parliament are not ancient, rebuilt in 1870 after
a fire. When Parliament sits, a flag flies from the Victoria
Tower by day and at night a light shines in the clock. The Old
Palace of Westminster Palace was built as a residence for the
King and his court. The interior of the Palace is richly
decorated with paintings and works of art. Big Ben, the famous
clock named after Sir Benjamin Hall, is a reliable timekeeper
and a much-loved landmark. Westminster Abbey, one of the
masterpieces of the Middle Ages, is situated across Parliament
Square. This is where all the English monarchs have been crowned
for more than 600 years. A lot of famous people are buried
inside the cathedral: Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, William
Shakespeare and many others.
Halfway along Whitehall is 10 Downing Street, the residence of
the Prime Minister. It also houses his secretariat and helpers.
Trafalgar Square is famous for a tall monument in the centre of
it, called Nelson's Column, and built to commemorate the Battle
of Trafalgar and honour Admiral Nelson. The National Gallery
across the square houses the national collection of Western
European painting.
On the waterfront of the City is the famous Tower of London, the
oldest construction in London built in the 11th century. It used
to be a prison, a fortress, a palace, a treasury and even a zoo.
The oldest part of the Tower is the White Tower. Most of the
public displays are here. They include a big collection of
armour, jewels and clothes. Traitor's Gate, through which
prisoners were taken to the Tower, can still be seen. The Tower
of London is also famous for Beefeaters, people who work mainly
as guides and guards. But another duty is to look after the 12
black ravens that live on the territory of the Tower.
One of the London sites is Tower Bridge across the Thames built
because of the need for an open waterway for large ships. The
bridge now is one of the symbols of London.
The National Portrait Gallery founded in 1856 houses more than
9,000 works and a large archive. Among other museums and
galleries is the Tate Gallery, opened in 1897. The Victoria and
Albert Museum houses a magnificent collection of fine and
applied arts.
The National History Museum contains a collection of plants,
animals and minerals. The Hall of Human Biology enables visitors
to learn about their bodies and the way they work.
The Science Museum displays the discovery and development of
such inventions as the steam engine, photography, glass-making,
printing and others.
The British Museum is one of the biggest museums in the world
containing a lot of artifacts and pieces of art. It was founded
in 1753 by an act of Parliament.
But still one of the most famous museums in London is Madam
Tussauds Museum, which houses a great collection of wax figures
of celebrities. The Sherlock Holmes Museum, situated not far
from it, is dedicated to the fictional character created by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle.
Often called "The Green City", London has a number of open
spaces and green areas. The largest of these in the central area
are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbours Kensington
Gardens and Holland Park Gardens at the western edge of central
London, and Regent's Park on the northern edge. Closer to
central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St.
James's Park. Hyde Park, the largest park in London, is popular
for sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts. Among its
sites is Speakers' Corner, a place where anyone can speak out on
any topic. Kensington Gardens house the Statue of Peter Pan,
which is a favourite place for children that gather around it,
and the famous Round Pond.
Regent's Park is another popular place of rest for Londoners
with an open-air theatre and the Zoo. The Regent's Canal leads
to London Little Venice, a very rich district with beautiful
luxurious houses.
London is also a centre of culture with more than 40 theatres in
the West End. Theatres range from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Company to the English Stage Company's presentations of
experimental works at the Royal Court Theatre. Opera and ballet
performances are given at the Royal Opera House, which is
situated in Covent Garden.
London is also a big shopping centre with numerous cheap and
expensive shops of different kinds with "Harrods" being the most
famous shop in the world.
ПЛАН-ОТВЕТ. LONDON
1. Предоставить общую информацию о Лондоне (capital, founded by
the Romans, official population).
2. Рассказать о плане города и о каждой части (three parts: the
City, the West End, the East End; the City: Lord Mayor, police
force, the Royal Exchange; the West End: entertainment,
shopping, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, etc; the East End:
immigrant population, poor area, slums, industrial development,
the Thames Gateway, etc.).
3. Рассказать кратко об основных достопримечательностях Лондона
и о том, чем они интересны (Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's
Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey,
Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, Tower
Bridge).
4. Рассказать кратко об известных музеях и галереях Лондона (The
National Portrait Gallery, the National History Museum, the
Science Museum, the British Museum).
5. Рассказать о самых известных парках Лондона (Hyde Park,
Regent's Park, Kensington Gardens).
6. Рассказать о театральной жизни Лондона (the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre Company, the Royal Opera House).
7. Рассказать о самых известных магазинах города ("Harrods").
QUESTIONS
1. Who founded London and when?
2. What parts is London divided into? What can you say about
each of them?
3. What is Piccadilly Circus and what story is connected with
it?
4. What can you say about St. Paul's Cathedral?
5. What do you know about Tower Bridge?
6. London is famous for its museums and art galleries. What do
you know about the most famous ones?
7. What are the Houses of Parliament?
8. Does London have any parks? If yes, what are they?
9. Can London be called an educational centre of England? Can
you prove it?
10. What's cultural London like?
11. Can you prove that London is a shopping centre?
12. What famous shops do you know?
13. Would you like to visit London? Why (not)?
14. What sights would you like to see in London? Explain your
choice.
15. What museums would you visit first thing? Why? .
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