Unit 10 london

Travel makes a wise man better, but a fool worse.

Rome was not built in a day.

East or West, home is best.

Assignments

Task 1. Translate the words into Russian and write the words they are formed from.

Destruction, drawings, magnificently, architectural, impressive, personalities, enjoyable, largest, visitors, anti-pigeon, cleaning, different, variety, double-decker, reconstruction, one-eyed, closely.

Read and translate the text

London is one of the world’s most enjoyable cities. It is on the beautiful river Thames. Visited by tourists in the millions, the city offers them an astonishing variety of scenes. Little damage occurred during World War I, but World War II brought tremendous destruction. Many buildings of great historic value were laid in ruins and today the face of London is changed. London has buildings that express all the different areas of its history. Many places in London are closely connected with the crown. They are: royal palaces, royal parks, roads and streets where beautiful ceremonies are hold.

Buckingham Palace

The most important building is Buckingham Palace; it is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace opens the doors of its State Rooms to the public every summer. Originally acquired by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, Buckingham House was increasingly known as the 'Queen's House' and 14 of George III's children were born there. On his accession to the throne, George IV decided to convert the house into a palace and employed John Nash to help him extend the building. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live here (from 1837). The State Rooms are now still used by the Royal Family to receive and entertain guests on State and ceremonial occasions. Visitors can admire some of the more unusual gifts received by the current Queen, including drawings by Salvador Dali, an embroidered silk scarf from Nelson Mandela and a grove of maple trees. Decorated in lavish fashion, the rooms include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, Vermeer and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. The Ball Supper Room, the setting for a host of sparkling events in the history of the palace, 29-acre gardens and annual exhibitions are all also available to visitors.

Houses of Parliament

The centre of Westminster Bridge, one can have a splendid view of the Houses of Parliament which spread magnificently on the north bank of Thames. The Houses of Parliament, called officially the Palace of Westminster, were formerly a palace for kings and queens. This structure is a remarkable example of Gothic architecture.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a national shrine where kings and queens are crowned and famous people are buried. Founded by Edward the Confessor in 1050, the Abbey was a monastery for a long time. Near the West Door of the Abbey the Unknown Warrior lies in a simple grave commemorating the men who died in the First World War.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral has always dominated the centre of London. Londoners have a particular affection for St. Paul’s, which is the largest Protestant Church in England.

The present structure is the fifth cathedral to be built on the site. The weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill and many other occasions have graced this spiritual centre. The largest bell in England is here. After four years obscured by scaffolding the interior of St Paul’s Cathedral was fully revealed on Thursday, 9 June 2008 at 9.30am after a £10.8 million programme of cleaning and repair.