Annotations

tribe – племя; ramshackle – ветхий; besiege – осаждать; a retaliatory attack – ответный удар; pious – благочестивый, религиозный; adjacent – прилежащий; congestion – перенаселенность; eminent – выдающийся

Comprehension Check Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the correct word:

1. The first major settlement in the area of London was founded by the … in AD 43.

2. This … was called Londinium.

3. By 600 AD, the Anglo-Saxons had created a new settlement (Lundenwic) about 1 km upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now … .

4. … Canute took control of the English throne in 1017.

5. William the Conqueror built a castle in the southeast corner of the city which is now known as …

6. The City of London flourished under its own unique administration, … .

7. London's first … put small countryside towns within easy reach of the city.

8. Between 1855 and 1889, the Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure … .

9. The Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe during World War II … large tracts of housing and other buildings across London.

10. Integration of the new immigrants was not always … .

II. Complete the sentence with the best answer (a, b or c) according to the information in the text:

1. The first London lasted for

1. 17 years.

2. 170 years.

3. 300 years.

2. By the 3rd century AD, the city started a slow decline due to

1. trouble in the Roman Empire

2. Great Fire

3. a retaliatory attack of Aethelred's army

3. By the 11^th century London had become

1. the largest and most prosperous city in England

2. the official seat of government

c) abandoned.

4. The Tower of London served first as

1. a royal residence

2. a prison

3. a royal court

5. In the 18^th century London's local government system struggled to cope with

1. the rapid growth

2. the economic crisis

3. large-scale immigration

III. Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the information in the text:

1. In the 2nd century AD, Roman London had a population of around 60,000.

2. Under the control of various English kings, London prospered as an international trading centre and political arena.

3. The Great Fire of London broke out in Westminster.

4. London’s growth was aided from 1836 by its first railways.

5. Architectural unity has become part of London's character.

6. London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics on 7 July 2005.

IV. Questions:

1. Is there any evidence of scattered pre-Roman settlement in the area of London?

2. What happened with London around AD 61?

3. Who re-founded Westminster Abbey and the adjacent Palace of Westminster?

4. Who was crowned King of England in the newly-finished Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066?

5. When were Scotland and England united?

6. Name the last major outbreak of Europe.

7. What caused small countryside towns to grow?

8. Why were London's political boundaries expanded in 1965?

9. What transformed London into one of the most racially and culturally diverse cities in Europe in the 20^th century?

10. Has London been subjected to bouts of terrorism? Why?