Pigeons

The square is a popular tourist spot in London, and used to be particularly famous for its pigeons (Rock Pigeons). Feeding the pigeons was a popular activity with Londoners and tourists. The desirability of the birds’ presence has long been contentious: their droppings look ugly on buildings and damage the stonework, and the flock, estimated at its peak to be 35 000, was considered to be a health hazard. In 1996, police arrested one man who was estimated to have trapped 1500 birds for sale to a middleman; it is assumed that the birds ended up in the human food chain. In 2000, the sale of bird seed in the square was controversially terminated. Supporters of the pigeons and some tourists continued to feed the birds, but, in 2003, Ken Livingstone enacted by-laws to ban the feeding of pigeons within the square. There are now relatively few birds in Trafalgar Square and it is used for festivals.

Sports events

In recent years Trafalgar Square has become the location to the climax for victory parades for the England national rugby union team in the 2003 Rugby World Cup on the 9^th December 2003 and on the 13^th September 2005 was also the climax of the victory parade for the England national cricket team victory against the Australia national cricket team in the Ashes. On 6 July 2005 Trafalgar Square was a gathering place for many London citizens to hear the announcement that they will host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

New Year events

For many years, revellers celebrating the start of a New Year have gathered on the square, despite a lack of civic celebrations being arranged for them. The lack of official events in the square was partly because the authorities were concerned that actively encouraging more partygoers would cause overcrowding.

3. Choose the best variant to complete each sentence.

1. Trafalgar Square is a square in __________ London that commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars.

mid	the suburbs
central	the outskirts

2. The column is topped by a statue of Lord Nelson, _____________ who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar.

the lieutenant	the admiral
the major	the general

3. The square is a popular _____________ spot in London, and used to be particularly famous for its pigeons (Rock Pigeons).

tourist	visitors’
guests’	foreigners’

4. On the north side of the square is ___________________and to its east the St Martin’s-in-the-Fields church. The square adjoins the Mall via Admiralty Arch to the southwest.

Whitehall	Canada House
South Africa House	the National Gallery

5. The fourth plinth on the northwest corner was intended to hold a statue of________________, but remained empty due to insufficient funds.

William IV	Sir Charles James Napier
George IV	Henry Havelock

4. Match the words.

naval	events
equestrian	parades
insufficient	stunts
publicity	victory
victory	statues
official	funds

5. Find the synonyms in the text.

to include
to lead, guide
treaty
popular, outstanding
disputable, questionable

6. Find the opposites in the text.

to defeat
Full
permanent
to start, commence
to permit, allow

7. Find the best variants for the words in the text.

1. The square consists of a _____________central area surrounded by roadways on three sides, and stairs leading to the National Gallery on the other.

Big	large
great	huge

2. Later, agreement could not be reached_________ which monarch or military hero to place there.

Over	at
On	under

3. There are now relatively ________birds in Trafalgar Square and it is used for festivals.

Little	a few
Few	a little