Westminster Palace

Parliament works in Westminster Palace which since Edward the Confessor's times was kings' and queens' residence, then it was shared by Parliament but since the 16th century it is entirely in Parliamentary use. The House of Parliament is one building 280 m long, stretching along the Thames and overlooking it. Its width is 90 m. This building was erected in the middle of the 19th century, as the old one was destroyed by the Fire of London in 1834. Its architect was Charles Barry. It is a magnificent gothic-style carved-stone building with 1200 apartments, 100 staircases, 130 statues, 3,2 km of passages, 11 courtyards, 26 policemen, 34 doorkeepers, 250 people looking after the upkeeps of the palace.

Westminster Palace is richly decorated with statues of famous politicians of the past. So it is said in jest that British Parliament has the third House consisting of 130 statesmen immortalized in marble and bronze. When Parliament is in session Union Jack flies from the Victoria Tower by day and a light is burning on the Clock Tower with the famous Big Ben by night.

The 336-foot Victoria Toweris the largest and tallest square tower in the world. Through its archway the monarch enters for the State Opening of Parliament each November. More than 6000 Acts of Parliament are stored in the Victoria Tower.

The ClockTower is one of the best known sights in the world. It is 320 ft high and is popularly called Big Ben, by the name of a four-faced bell clock striking the hours. Actually Big Benis the name of the biggest of the 5 bells, the proper name for the tower being St. Stephen's Tower. Big Ben is 150 years old and it is the most accurate clock of its size in the world. There are two versions of the origin of the name. Some people believe that the tower got its name from Benjamin Caunt, a famous boxer. Others think that it was from Sir Benjamin Hall, an enormous Welshman who worked at the Palace when the clock was being built. There are 334 steps up to the belfry and 59 more up to the lantern at the top. Each number on the clock face is 60,9 cm long, the hour hand is 274,3 cm long, the minute hand is 426 cm long. It travels at 30,4 cm a minute. The weight of the Big Ben is 13,5 tons, the same as of 250-300 men. On the 11th floor there is a small prison cell which used to be for anyone who committed a crime inside the Houses of Parliament. In the past the clock used to be winded by hand (until 1913) and it took 30 hours a week to wind it. Now the job is done by an electric motor.

Notes to the text:

to overlook – возвышаться над чем-либо

carved-stone – высеченный из камня

upkeep – содержание (в исправности), ремонт

to immortalize – увековечить, обессмертить

Union Jack – «Юнион Джек», государственный флаг Соединенного Королевства Великобритании и Северной Ирландии (учрежден в 1801)

to store – хранить на складе

belfry – колокольня

lantern – фонарь

(clock) face – циферблат

Task 2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: воздвигнуть сооружение, сказать в шутку, государственный деятель, бить (о часах), точное название, точные часы, часовая стрелка, минутная стрелка, тюремная камера, совершить преступление, заводить (часы).

Task 3. Define the tense and the voice of the predicates in the following sentences:

1. This building was erected in the middle of the 19th century.

2. Westminster Palace is richly decorated with statues of famous politicians of the past.

3. Sir Benjamin Hall, an enormous Welshman, worked at the Palace when the clock was being built.

Task 4. Find in the text 5 adjectives in the superlative degree, then form the comparatives and the superlatives of the following adjectives used in the text: magnificent, high, popular, famous, small, enormous, old.

Task 5. Answer the questions:

1. Where does Parliament work?

2. How does the House of Parliament look like?

3. What is Victoria Tower famous for?

4. How is the ClockTower popularly called? What is the origin of its name?

5. How does Big Ben look like?

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20