Cities of the United Kingdom

About 58 million people live in Great Britain. It has a very largepopulation for its size. Nine people out of 10 live in towns and cities. No town of comparable size enjoys such universal popularity and veneration as Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Stratford - upon-Avon possesses a peculiarly English character, derived from its unique heritage of natural setting, history and literary associations, which has come to make it an international asset of the first order. Stratford is a town with a character and atmosphere of its own. Apart from the beauty of its river, its streets and buildings preserve many links with its interesting past. Most famous are the properties and gardens associated with Shakespeare and his family which are preserved as a memorial to the past. The smooth-flowing Avon is Stratford’s greatest asset, while second only in importance is the fine old bridge with its fourteen arches. This bridge was built at the end of the 15 th century by Hugh Clopton, a native of the town. The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre is the centre of the Shakespeare Festival. This brick-built theatre was erected in 1932 to replace an earlier theatre destroyed by fire. It is without doubt one of the best equipped

theatres and its Shakespearian productions attract an international audience. Shakespeare’s statue (Gower Memorial) stands on the Bancroft, commanding the approach to Stratford from Clopton Bridge. The statue of the bard with its figures of Hamlet, Lady Macbeth, Falstaff and Prince Hall is imposing. The house in Henley Street where Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his early years is a half-timbered building of a type common in Elizabethan Stratford. It is visited by pilgrims from all over the world.

The interior of Shakespeare’s Birthplace contain many features of unusual interest. The poet’s birthroom on the first floor is a fascinating room with a low, uneven ceiling and is furnished after the pattern of a middleclass home such as the Shakespeare family occupied. In it is the famous window on which are recorded the signatures of distinguished people who visited the house.

Vocabulary:

veneration - благоговение

asset - имущество; благо, достояние

pilgrim - паломник

Prince Hall - Принц Генрих, будущий король Генрих IV

half-timbered - здание, у которого стены сделаны из

лесоматериала, а внутри заполнены чем-то другим

signature - подпись

distinguished - выдающийся, заслуженный, видный

Text 5

London

London is one of the largest and most interesting cities in the world. London today 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», with a population of nine million. The River Thames winds its way through London and divides it into the two parts known as the north bank and the south bank. Fifteen bridges span it, perhaps the best known being Westminster, Waterloo, Tower and London bridges. Traditionally London is divided into Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.

The heart of London is the City - its commercial and business centre. The City of London is a very small part of the whole; it is only one square mile in area, and the number of people who live and sleep in the

City is only about ten thousand. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey, where important criminal trials take place. Visitors who come to learn about London’s history will find much to interest them in the City. Here most of the streets are narrow, and traffic is often very slow. The most striking building in the City is St. Paul’s Cathedral designed by famous English architect, Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723). St. Paul’s Cathedral with its huge dome and rows of columns is considered to be a fine specimen of Renaissance architecture. In one of its towers hangs one of the largest bells in the world, Great Paul, weighing about 17.5 tons. Wellington, Nelson and other great men of England are buried in the Cathedral. Round St. Paul’s is the original London, the oldest part, with a history of almost two thousand years. Westminster, with its Palace and Abbey, is six hundred years younger. The ancient City of London has always governed itself and has not shared in the government of the rest of London. The City has its own Lord Mayor and its own Corporation. Ever since 1215 the Lord Mayor has been chosen annually. He begins his duties on 8 November, and in the following day there is procession which is known as the Lord Mayor’s Show. The Tower of London doesn’t belong to the City, though it stood there for almost nine hundred years. It is more connected with the royal dynasties, than with the world of business. The Tower was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal residence and a prison. Now it is a museum of armour and also a place where the Crown Jewels are kept. In present days, just as many centuries ago, the Ceremony of the Keys takes place at its gates every night. As, during the Middle Ages, London increased in size and wealth, the old City and the area round the Royal Palace at Westminster became the two chief centres. The nobles, bishops, judges, and others who were connected with the Court, lived in or near Westminster. This explain how the part of London that we now call the West End came into being. And because Henry VIII was fond of hunting we have, today, three parks that form a continuous stretch of green: St James’s Park, the Green Park, and Hyde Park. The Court moved to St. James’s in the eighteenth century, and to Buckingham Palace in the nineteenth century. Both of these are in the City of Westminster. Here, and farther west, are the finest theatres, cinemas and concert halls, the large museums, the most luxurious hotels, the largest department stores and the most famous shops. The name «West End» came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. Not far from Westminster where most of the Government buildings are situated is Westminster Abbey, at which all British Kings and queens have been crowned. It dates back to 1049. Many English sovereigns, outstanding statesmen, painters and poets are buried here. Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, the seat of the British Parliament. Its two graceful towers stand high above

the city. The higher of the two largest clock in the country and the famous bell Big Ben that strikes every quarter of the hour. The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace for much of the year, but there are other royal palaces in London.m Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was so named in memory of the victory in the battle of Trafalgar, where in October 21, 1805 the English fleet under Nelson’s command defeated the combined fleet of France and Spain. The victory was won at the cost of Nelson’s life. In the middle of Trafalgar Square stands Nelson’s monument. The column is guarded by four bronze lions. The fine building facing the square is the National Gallery and adjoining it (but just round the corner) is the Portrait Gallery. The East End is the part of London east of the City. The East End is unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country’s commerce. On the river there are ocean -going ships and lines of barges pulled along by tugs. Ships up to 6000 tons can come as far as London Bridge. The Port of London, of which the docks form a part, has 69 miles of waterways and is one of the two of three greatest ports in the world. Greater London, with its million population, includes the outer suburbs. Because London has grown so large, the Government has decided that it must spread no farther. It is now surrounded by a «green belt», a belt of agricultural and wooded land on which new buildings may be put up only with the permission of the planning authorities.

Vocabulary

to span - соeдинять

the Bank if England - Английский банк

the Stock Exchange - Лондонская фондовая биржа

the Old Bailey - центральный уголовный суд, находящийся в Олд-Берли

The Duke of Wellington - известный Британский генерал, чья армия разбила Наполеона в сражении при Ватерлоо в 1815

Nelson - английский адмирал, который выиграл сражение при Трафальгаре

Corporation - Совет, состоящий из группы людей, выбранных для управления городом

Court - Двор (приближенные короля или королевы)

bishop - епископ

graceful - грациозный

to adjoin - примыкать