12. Read Text 8c and answer the following questions.

1. Who began building the Tower of London?

2. What towers does the Tower of London comprise?

3. What was the Tower built for?

4. What terrible deeds took place in the Tower?

5. Why was it said that whoever held the keys to the Tower, held the keys to the kingdom?

6. What can you say about the Bloody Tower?

7. What is the Tower of London now?

8. What is the Ceremony of the Keys like?

9. What does the legend say about the Tower?

10. Why don’t ravens fly away from the Tower?

13. Consider the following statements and say if you agree or disagree with them. Use the introductory phrases from the previous Units.

1. The Tower of London is the scene of modern England.

2. The Kings of England held their Court in the Jewel Tower.

3. The Kings and Queens of England were murdered in the Tower.

4. There are only a few historical events connected with the Tower.

5. Many important people were kept as prisoners in the Tower.

6. The prisoners did not go through the Traitors’ Gate on their way to the scaffold.

7. The Crown jewels are not kept in the Tower nowadays.

8. The Ceremony of the Keys takes place once a week.

9. When all the towers are locked after the Ceremony of the Keys is over, the keys are brought to the Queen’s House for the night.

10. The Tower of London is not guarded at present.

14. Speak on the following subjects.

1. William the Conqueror, the builder of the Tower of London.

2. Some towers of the Tower of London.

3. English persons of high rank kept in the Tower.

4. The Ceremony of the Keys.

5. The ravens of the Tower of London.

15. Read Text 8c again. Give a brief outline of the information each paragraph contains.

16. Make up a story about London and its places of interest based on the information given in the above Texts or from other sources. Speaking

DIALOGUE 1

Places of interest in London

One day before going to London Boris decided to visit his friend Alan who had been to London for several years. He wanted to ask Alan about places of interest in London.

B.: Where would you advise me to go in London first of all?

A.: You know, as for me I should first go to the British Museum.

B.: Is the British Museum large?

A.: Oh, it’ll take you not less than a whole day to have a good look around it. But you should visit not only the Museum there. There are a lot of places of interest. Houses of Parliament first of all. The building of the new Houses of Parliament was built in 1868. Have you heard of Big Ben?

B.: Certainly, I have. It is the clock.

A.: It is a famous tower clock. Big Ben is really not a clock but the bell on which the hours are struck. Besides Big Ben, there are four Little Bens, which strike before Big Ben.

B.: Where is the residence of the Queen?

A.: In Buckingham Palace. They have the Changing of the Guard in front of the palace every morning at eleven o’clock. Go there by all means.

B.: What else will you advise me to see in London?

A.: Trafalgar Square with the tall Nelson Column in it. Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park are the places where mass meetings and demonstrations are held. Hyde Park is the largest park in London.

B.: Go on, please.

A.: Then comes the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

B.: I’ve read something about the Tower. When was it built?

A.: It was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror. Now there is a museum where the crown, jewels and other treasures are held. The Tower Bridge is one of the finest bridges over the Thames.

B.: And the last question. You didn’t say a word about the shops in London.

A.: The West End is the part of London where you’ll find most of the shops.

B.: Thank you very much.

A.: Not at all. I wish you a pleasant trip to London.