2. What were the consequences of two great tragedies that London suffered?

But then London suffered two awful tragedies, at first – the Great Plague (1665) and then the Great Fire (1666). In a few months nearly 100,000 people, that is 1/5 of the population died because of the Plague. And only winter and its cold saved the city and the people.

The Great Fire happened through carelessness of a young baker who left a small bundle of wood near a very hot oven. In a few hours all the houses made of wood were burning like paper. This fire destroyed 3000 houses and at least 97 churches.

Fortunately the wind soon stopped and then heavy rain fell. Thus London was saved.

3. What is the City notable for?

Bit by bit London was being constructed until it has become the city which is now one of the most beautiful and attractive places in the world.

The oldest part of it is the City which is the business and financial centre of London.

During the day it is full of people, but at the end of the day, businessmen, clerks, and Secretaries go home and it becomes silent and empty.

Besides the City there are many other attractions such as Trafalgar Square with the Nelson column in the centre, the Houses of Parliament with the famous Big Ben, a lot of beautiful parks and gardens among which is Hyde Park well known all over the world.

4. What is the Tube?

Bands were playing and the gentlemen in hats were preparing to make speeches about their great achievement. They made the first underground travel in the world - a distance of almost four miles.

It was the year 1863 and on that historic day 30,000 Londoners used this new and strange way of travel. Now more than a hundred years later the London Underground carries more than a million passengers every day.

It is said that the London Underground (Englishmen call it the Tube) is the safest form of transport in the world.

5. What is Barbican Centre?

Barbican is a district of the City of London. It was greatly destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. Great construction has started since the end of the war. Nowadays Barbican is one of the most beautiful districts of London. It is also famous for the Barbican Centre.

The Barbican Centre is an enormous complex which contains two theatres, an art gallery, three cinemas, two restaurants and two exhibition halls.

The building itself is very interesting: it is built on eight levels. Four of these levels are underground. On the fifth level there is a lake, complete with 45 fountains, and an air terrace where you can have coffee.

The construction of the Centre was started in 1970. At that time it was expected to cost 190 million. At last on the 3d of March 1982 the Barbican Centre was opened by the Queen Elizabeth herself.

There are two resident companies which are now based in the Barbican Centre. They are the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is these two companies which are providing a good part of the cultural programme for the public.

ENGLISH TODAY

There are over 2,700 languages in the world, but English today is the most important international language. Four hundred million people speak English as their first language. Six hundred million people speak it either as a second or as a foreign language. That is 20 per cent of the world’s population.

English has become a world language, because it is spoken as a mother tongue in all the continents of the world. In the 17^th century it was brought to North America by the first colonisers. Then in the 18^th century English was brought to Australia, later on to Africa and India.

Millions of people are learning English today. It is the language of summit meetings and international conferences. It’s also the language of the United Nations. Foreign political leaders usually speak to international journalists in English. The latest discoveries and ideas in all spheres of science and medicine appear in special international journals, of which 60 per cent are in English. 80 per cent of all information in the world’s computers is in English.

Besides, there are a lot of brilliant world-famous English, American, Canadian and Australian writers and poets who gave the world their wonderful works. The reader can fully appreciate them only in the original.

And finally, many young people learn English as a foreign language because it is the language of rock and pop music.

So, English can be used for many different purposes and serve as a key to other cultures and their riches.

Over более

Important важный

first language, mother tonge родной язык

either…or или…или

20 per cent 20 процентов

population население

century век

later on затем

summit meeting совещание в верхах

the United Nations ООН

international journalists международные корресподенты

the latest discoveries последние открытия

sphere сфера, область

science наука

to appear появляться

besides кроме того

brilliant великолепный, замечательный

wonderful прекрасный

to appreciate оценить

in the original в оригинале

finally наконец

to use использовать

different разный, различный

purpose цель

to serve служить

key ключ

riches богатство

Answer the Following Questions:

1. What is the role of English among other foreign languages?

2. How many people speak it?

3. Why has English become a world language?

4. Who brought English to the American continent?

5. Where else is English an official language?

6. Why are millions of people learning English today?

7. How can readers best appreciate world literature in English?

8. Why do young people want to learn English?

9. Why do you learn English?