Reading
11. Study the following text.
London
London, the capital of Great Britain, and the largest city in Europe, is situated on the river Thames. It is the main political, commercial, transport centre of the country and one of the biggest ports in the world.
London covers the territory of 400 square miles. It’s population is about 9 million people. London is a very old city. It is more than 20 centuries old. The old Celts gave London its name. The Romans made the city the centre of their colony, the Germanic invaders tried to destroy it and the Normans made London the capital of the country. Llyn-din was the original name of the settlement which means a «lonely port».
Modern London is not one city. It is a number of cities, towns and villages that have grown together to make one vast urban area. «Great London» consists of many parts but the main traditional parts are: the City, the West End and the East End.
T
he
City is an oldest and very important part of the capital, it’s
commercial and business centre. Many banks, governmental and
newspaper offices are situated in the City. People do not live in the
City, they only work there. The heart of the City are 3 buildings:
the Manshion House, the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England. Every
block in the City is famous for it’s historical associations. St.
Paul’s Cathedral, the finest Renaissance church in Europe, and the
Tower of London, an ancient castle, are the most famous places of
interest in the City.
The West End is a symbol of wealth, the richest, fashionable and most beautiful part of London. It is situated between the City and Hyde Park. Here you can see wide streets, fine theatres, cinemas and concert halls, the best hotels and restaurants. Among all historical places of the West End the most interesting are: Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace, known as the Houses of Parliament, with 2 towers: the Victoria Tower and the Clock Tower with Big Ben.
T
he
East End is the poorest district of London, it’s industrial part
with many plants, factories, workshops. It is a densely populated
district. Workers, dockers, handicraftsman live in the East End. They
produce the wealth of the West End and are proud of being called true
Londoners. The port of London is also in the East End. The smog hangs
dark in the sky over the East End. It is often said: «The City is
the money of London, the West End is it’s goods, the East End is
the hands of London».
The main industries of London are shipbuilding, textile and machine-building industries.
Many famous people lived in London: Heinrich Heine, the German poet; Mozart, the German composer; Alexander Herzen, the Russian writer; Ivan Pavlov, the famous Russian physiologist and many other scientists, artists, writers, painters. Karl Marx worked and lived for many years in London and is buried in the Highgate Ceremony.
12. Find in the text the words which have an opposite meaning.
The richest district; narrow streets; modern; to build; unknown; unimportant; the worst hotels; old.