2. London is the capital of Great Britain

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial center. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.      London is situated on the river Thames. The city has more than 20 centuries of history. Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.      The city is the oldest part of London, its financial and business center. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, and the Old Bailey. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. Two wonderful buildings are situated within the City: St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London.      Westminster is the center of administration. It includes Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives and the Houses of Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as “Big Ben”. Westminster Abbey is the place where coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here as well as some other famous people of the country (Newton, Ch.Dickens, R.Keepling, etc.)      The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, bars and houses are situated there.      Trafalgar Square is the geographical center of London. Nelson Column, which stands in the middle of the square, was built in honor of admiral Nelson. Opposite the Nelson monument is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. They contain the finest art collections in the world. Not far from the National Gallery is the British Museum famous for its rich library (about 7 million books).      Westminster and the West End are the main tourist attractions in London.      The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London there. The region is densely populated by working class families. The residents of the East End are called cockneys which means true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area.      The suburbs of London cover a vast area. A lot of people live there and travel to the center every day to work.      London is a cosmopolitan city. People of several races and many nationalities live there.

4. English meals

English meals. The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea (5 o'clock) and dinner. Breakfast can be a full 'English breakfast' of cornflakes with milk and sugar, or bacon and eggs, toast and marmalade, tea or coffee. Some people, however, have just a cup of tea or coffee with a toast or something similar. This is usually called a 'continental breakfast'. At midday everything Is stopped for lunch. Most offices and small shops are dosed for an hour and the city pavements are full of реоple on their way to cafes, coffee bars, I restaurants. Factory workers usually eat in their canteens. The English like what they call 'good plain food'. They must be able to recognize what they are eating. Usually t they like steak, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and fish and chips. Afternoon tea Is taken at about 5 o'clock, but it can hardly be called a meal. It is a cup of tea and cake or, biscuits. At the weekends afternoon tea is a special occasion. friends and visitors are often invited to have a chat over a cup of tea. Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. It is usually eaten at 7 o'clock. The first course may be soup (though the English don't like it very much). The main course will often be fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef of old England, and a lot of vegetables. The next course will be something sweet and often cooked, such as a fruit pie. Last of all there may be cheese, often with biscuits. It is common knowledge that the English are very fond of tea. They like to have 'a nice cup of tea' 6 or 8 times a day, sometimes even more. On Christmas Day a roast turkey is traditionally cooked for dinner. It is usually followed by Christmas pudding. Long before Christmas housewives begin to plan what cake to make for Christmas. Usually they make fantastic Christmas cakes.