Vocabulary notes

antiquity - древность; старина; классическая древность, античность

borough - городок, небольшой город

(to) confine - заключать в тюрьму; заточать, держать взаперти

dome – купол

(to) donate - дарить, жаловать, жертвовать

execution - казнь; уничтожение, разрушение

ferris wheel - чертово колесо ( аттракцион )

hub - центр ( событий, внимания, деятельности )

landmark – достопримечательность

imprisonment - заключение

metropolitan area - столичная зона; большой Лондон (включающий все муниципальные районы)

Abbreviation

archit. - architecture

B.L. – British Library

bldg(s) – building(s)

boro. – borough

CBD - central business district

Lond. – London

Largest cities

The list of United Kingdom top cities by population:

1) London, with the population of 7,509,000 people;

2) Birmingham - 1,001,000 people;

3) Glasgow, - 629,501 people.

Other major cities with urban area populations in excess of 250,000 inhabitants are - alphabetically - Belfast, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Kingston Upon Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stoke on Trent and Wolverhampton. The most prominent of them are the following ones:

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. Birmingham is the largest of England's core cities, and is considered to be the United Kingdom's second city. It includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as Solihull, Wolverhampton and the towns of the Black Country. Birmingham is situated just to the west of the geographical centre of England on the Birmingham Plateau between the basins of the Rivers Severn and Trent. The city's reputation was forged as a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. It is a center of various industries such as the iron and steel industry.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. It is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands. From the 18th century the city had become a hub of transatlantic trade with the Americas. The city and surrounding region is one of the world's centres of heavy engineering and shipbuilding, constructing many famous vessels. Today it is one of Europe's top twenty financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses.

Manchester is one of the largest industrial cities in the UK. The city centre is on the east bank of the River Irwell, near the confluence of the River Medlock and the River Irk and is relatively low-lying. The River Mersey flows through the south of Manchester. Manchester is often described as the “Capital of the North”. Manchester today is a centre of the arts, the media, higher education and commerce. It is the third most visited city in the United Kingdom by foreign visitors, after London and Edinburgh. Manchester is also well known for its sporting connections, with two major Premier League football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City. Manchester is credited as the world's first industrialised city. It is a centre of the textile region and a chief cotton manufacturing city.Manchester City Centre is now on of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mainly due to its network of canals and mills.

Sheffield is the centre of heavy industry. It is often called the city of steel. It is situated in South Yorkshire, England. It is so named because of its origins in a field on the River Sheaf that runs through the city.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. It is in the south-east of Scotland, on the east coast of Scotland's "Central Belt", on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, on the North Sea and, because of its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian Architecture including numerous stone tenements, it is one of the most dramatic cities in Europe. The city was one of the major centres of the enlightenment, led by the University of Edinburgh. The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Edinburgh is well-known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August.

Liverpool is a city in North West England situated along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. Liverpool is one of England's core cities and it’s fifth most populous — 447,500. It is an industrial city (textile industry) and a principal port of Western England. Liverpool is internationally known as a cultural centre, with a particularly rich history in popular music (most notably The Beatles), performing and visual arts.

Cardiff is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. It was a major port for the transport of coal following the arrival of industry in the region. It serves as a major centre of culture, sport and history in the United Kingdom. Cardiff have the largest concentration of Castles of any city in Europe. It is situated to the south by the Bristol Channel. The River Taff winds through the centre of the city and together with the River Ely flows into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay. A third river, the Rhymney flows through the east of the city entering directly into the Bristol Channel. A fourth river, the Lleucu has been culverted.

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. It is situated on Northern Ireland`s eastern coast. Belfast is also located at the eastern end of Belfast Lough and at the mouth of the River Lagan making it an ideal location for the shipbuilding industry that once made it famous (the Titanic was built in Belfast in 1912).

Bristol is one of the centres of culture, employment and education in the region. It served as the commercial port but now its economy is based on the aerospace industry, and the city centre docks have been regenerated as a centre of heritage and culture. Bristol is 15 miles (185 km) west of London and has a short coastline on the estuary of the River Severn which flows into the Bristol Channel.