London and its places of interest

London, the capital of Great Britain, is one of the largest cities in the world. It is a big port and a major industrial, commercial and cultural centre. London stands on the river Thames which flows into the North Sea. For centuries entry to London from the sea was guarded by the Tower fortress. The Tower was built 9 centuries ago. It once served as a royal residence and later as a prison. Now it is a museum. London grew out of the ancient centre known as the City. The City is London’s business centre. Banks, offices, and trusts are centred there. Employees and businessmen steam toward the City in the morning. They travel by motorbuses, on bicycles or by the underground. The road to the City runs across London Bridge. By 6 o’clock in the evening this part of the city is almost deserted. The streets in the City are narrow and the traffic is very slow. One of the most interesting monuments in the City is St. Paul’s Cathedral. It is the finest Renaissance church in Europe. All other English churches are mostly medieval Gothic. The Cathedral was designed by the great English architect Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666. It took him 35 years, and when he was an old man of 90, he was carried here once a year so that he could see his beautiful work. Inside there is a great number of monuments to generals and admirals. Admiral Nelson and Duke of Wellington are buried there among other great Englishmen.

The West End is the most pleasant residential area of London. There are lovely parks in the West End, among them one of the most popular is Hyde Park with its Speakers’ Corner where speakers from various political parties often hold public meetings. There are also luxurious mansions and elegant shops and restaurants as well as theatres, museums and hotels. Oxford street is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the West End.

While the West End is a residential district of the wealthy, the East End is the place where chiefly industrial and dock workers live there. In the East End there are no magnificent parks and mansions and far from all the men here have a steady job.

London is very different, it has many faces. There is a lot of traffic in the streets of London: endless lines of buses, motor cars and taxis. Most of London buses are the famous red double-deckers that have two decks for passengers. Bright-red, they look very nice in the grey streets of London. There are also green one-storeyed buses, they run from London to the countryside. In London as everywhere in Great Britain, the traffic keeps to the left.

Exercise 2. Give the Russian equivalents for the following.

One of the largest cities, which flows into the North Sea, London’s business centre, runs across London Bridge, one of the most interesting monuments, the great English architect, after the Great Fire of 1666, it took him 35 years, a great number of monuments, luxurious mansions, elegant shops and restaurants, one of the busiest thoroughfares, magnificent parks and mansions, famous red double-deckers, green one-storeyed buses, the traffic keeps to the left.

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks with the suitable words given below.

1. London is a big … and the … of Great Britain.

2. London is situated on … which… into the North Sea.

3. The Tower fortress which was built nine centuries ago now serves as a ….

4. The City, the ancient centre of London, now is its ….

5. St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most interesting … in the City.

6. There are many monuments to … inside the Cathedral.

7. The West End is a residential district with lovely …., luxurious …, elegant …, theatres, museums and hotels.

8. Industrial and dock workers live in ….

The East End, the river Thames, generals and admirals, port, shops, capital, flows, business centre, museum, mansions, parks, monuments.

Exercise 4. Open the brackets, using the right Voice-Tense form of the verbs.

1. Long ago London from the sea (to guard) by the Tower fortress.

2. London (to develop) out of the ancient centre known as the City.

3. Employees and businessmen (to travel) to the City by motorbuses, on bicycles or by the underground.

4. St. Paul’s Cathedral (to design) by the great English architect Sir Christopher Wren.

5. Many famous people (to bury) inside the Cathedral.

6. There (to be) magnificent parks and luxurious mansions in the West End.

7. London (to be) famous for its red double-deckers with two decks for passengers.

Exercise 5. Answer the questions.

1. What is the capital of Great Britain?

2. What is its geographical situation?

3. Which is the oldest district of London? What can you say about its appearance?

4. Are there any contrasts in the appearance of the capital?

5. What kind of buses is London famous for?

Exercise 6. Develop the idea.

1. The City is London’s business centre.

2. The City is London’s ancient centre.

3. The West End is a residential district of the wealthy.

4. The East End is a residential district of the poor.

Text 2

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-05