London.

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. It covers more than 600 square miles and consists of 33 separate boroughs, including the City, the West End, the East End and houses of over 12 million people.

London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old. It has more than a 20 century-old history.

The heart of London is the City – its commercial and business centre.

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 masterpieces are situated within the City: St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal residence and a prison. Now it is a museum of Armour and the place where Crown Jewels are kept. St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest English church, was built in the

17th century by a famous English architect, Sir Christopher Wren. Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives and the Houses of Parliament stretching for nearly 1000 feet along the north bank of the Thames. 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 (G. Chaucer, Tennyson, Newton, Ch. Dickens, T. Hardy, R. Kipling, etc.).

The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. It

is a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parks and houses are situated there.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.

Opposite the Nelson’s monument there is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. The National Gallery was founded in 1824 and shows a representative collection of great paintings from European schools. Not far from the National Gallery there’s the British Museum – the biggest Museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of different things (ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures, etc.). The British

Museum is famous for its library (about 7 000 000 books). The famous Tate Gallery was opened in 1897 with the financial support of Sir Henry Tate. The Gallery contains a unique collection of British paintings from the 16th century to the present day.

There is a number of museums in London, which are neither art museums nor galleries. You are sure to know about Madame Tussaud’s Museum. It contains hundreds of wax figures, which are sculpture portraits of famous personalities, political figures, painters, musicians, sportsmen and even criminals.

You cannot leave the city without visiting Hyde Park. When you are walking along its shady avenues, sitting on the grass or watching swans and ducks floating on the ponds, it seems almost unbelievable that all around there is a large city with its heavy traffic and smoke.

The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London there. The East End is especially famousMas the centre of the clothing industry in London and as the market place. Every Sunday morning it becomes one of the sights of London. Old residents of the East End are proud to be called cockneys, which means true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area. They love the district very much.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. What is the capital of Great Britain?

2. Is London a big city?

3. What is its population?

4. What river does London stand on?

5. What parts is London divided into?

6. Why is the City called the business centre of London?

7. What places of interest does Westminster include?

8. Who is buried in Westminster Abbey?

9. What is the West End famous for?

10.Why is the central square in London named Trafalgar Square?

11. Where is the National Gallery situated?

13. The East End is a working class area, isn’t it?

14. What is situated in the East End?

15. Is London the city of big contrasts?

16. Would you like to live there?

17. What part of London would you like to live in?

Exercise 4. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Лондон — самый большой город в Европе. Он простирается почти на 30 миль.

2. Вместе с окраинами и пригородными районами город называется «Большой Лондон».

3. «Сити» — это старейшая часть города. Именно с этого места начал расти Лондон.

4. Во время второй мировой войны «Сити» был сильно разрушен.

5. Трафальгарская площадь — это то место, где обычно проводятся различные демонстрации.

6. Картинные галереи Лондона — богатейшие в мире.

7. «Сохо» — район города, где живут люди творческих профессий: художники, писатели, артисты.

8. В Британском музее содержится большое количество древних

рукописей, монет, скульптур.

9. Лондон гордится своими прекрасными мостами через Темзу. Из 15 мостов наиболее известны - Лондонский мост, Тауэрский и Вестминстерский.

Exercise 5. Ask your friend:

- if he has ever been to London;

- if it is possible to see anything of London in one day;

- if he is interested in churches and cathedrals;

- if he knows the history of Britain;

- if Great Britain took part in World War II;

- if London was bombed during the war;

- if he knows famous theatres in London;

- what big University he knows in London;

- what places of interest he would like to see first.

Exercise 6.Retell the text.