5. Supplementary reading: Discover the world with us.

5.1. If you plan to visit another country what are you interested in more? – Its history? Great people? Curiosities? Entertainment? Landscape? Get some information from the texts about cities and towns of Great Britain. Surf the net if you want to enlarge your knowledge about the country.

Text B: CITIES andTOWNS of BRITAIN

London

London,the capital of the country, is situated on both sides of the Thames. There are 14 bridges across the Thames. Today London stretches for nearly thirty miles from north to south and for nearly thirty miles from east to west. This is the area known as ‘Greater London.’

When the Romans came to Britain in the first century A.D., London was a small village. Many of the roads built by the Romans met at the point where London Bridge now stands. In fact, there are several Londons. There is the ancient City of London, the oldest part of London. The City is the country’s financial and business centre. The Stock Exchange, the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England are all there. The City has a population of half a million. At night the City is a different place. There’s no traffic and very few people can be seen there. It's quiet and empty.

The West End is famous for its shops, hotels and parks. It's the finest part of London. There are always crowds of tourists there. In the West End there are theatres, cinemas, museums, picture galleries and many big houses. The Houses of Parliament, Whitewall, Downing Street are all in the West End. Whitewall is the street, where all the Government offices are. It is the heart of the Government of Great Britain.

If the City is the ‘money’ of London and the West End is the ‘goods’ of London, then the East End is the ‘hands’ of London. It is a district of docks, factories, little houses and narrow streets. Housing conditions in this part of London are very poor; lots of old houses have no modern conveniences. They are damp, dirty and dark.

When you are in London don’t miss the chance to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge in The City of London; then the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Whitehall are in Westminster and finally, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park in The West End. Enjoy your holiday!

Cambridge – a University Town

It lies on the river Cam and takes its name from the river. The ancient buildings, chapels, libraries and colleges are in the city centre. There are many museums in the old University City. Its population consists mostly of teachers and students. All students have to live in the college during their course. In the old times the students’ life was very strict. They were not allowed to play games, to sing, to hunt, to fish or even to dance. They wore special dark clothes which they continue to wear in our days. Many famous men studied here. Among them were Cromwell, Newton, Byron, Tennyson, Darwin and others.