Text 1. General information about London

London is the capital of Great Britain. It was founded on The Thames river not far from its mouth. It is the largest city in Europe and the oldest one in the world. It is more than two thousand years old.

London is one of the famous cities. It attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. They come to explore its historic buildings, to see its museums and galleries, streets and parks. London is the center of the nation’s commerce, finance and legal system. It has the biggest university, the greatest possibilities for entertainment and sport in this country. Today its population is more than 8 million people.

London can be divided into the following parts: the City, the West End and the East End. The City of London is the financial center. The Britain’s wealthiest banks, insurance and trading companies are here. This part of London is very small and only a few thousand people live here. It is full of life at daytime but at night it’s dead.

There is a great contrast between the West and the East End. The West End is the richest part of the town with its palaces, beautiful monuments of the past, picturesque parks, the best theatres and museums, the most expensive shops and restaurants and luxurious hotels. The East End is the district where the poor people live. Some of them are still live in slums. The part includes all the main docks and is heavily industrialized.

Words and phrases to remember:

to be founded – быть основанным

to attract – привлекать

to explore – исследовать

to include – включать

a wealthy bank – богатый

an insurance company – страховая компания

a trading company – торговая компания

a picturesque park – живописный парк

an expensive shop – дорогой магазин

a luxurious hotel – роскошный отель

Answer the questions:

1. What is the capital of Great Britain?

2. Where is it situated?

3. Why do the tourists come to London?

4. What are the main parts of London?

5. What is the City of London?

6. What is the richest part?

7. What is the poorest part?

Ex.1. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Московский университет был основан в 18 веке.

2. Лондон привлекает тысячи туристов каждый год.

3. Колумб хотел исследовать неизвестную землю.

4. Цена за комнату включает завтрак.

5. В западной части Лондона живут только состоятельные люди.

6. Когда я разбил свою машину, страховая компания заплатила за ремонт.

7. В Японии много торговых компаний.

8. Достопримечательности Лондона очень живописны.

9. Она любит ходить по роскошным магазинам и покупать дорогую

одежду.

Text 2. Parks of London

There are more than 80 parks in London and you may walk for hours from one to another. One of the biggest is Hyde Park. In the sixteenth century King Henry VIII hunted wild animals there. Today Hyde Park is the place for all sorts of national parades and mass meetings. In Speaker’s Corner you can listen to people giving their points of view on all kinds of subjects. Hyde Park is very popular with Londoners. They like to spend their free time there. In summer they enjoy bathing or boating at the Lido, an artificial lake running the whole length of the park.

Kensington Gardens is a favorite playground of children. Children and adults enjoy sailing model boats on the Round Pond here.

The Royal Botanic Gardens is probably the largest botanic garden in the world. Almost all the exotic plants and flowers can be found here. Richmond Park is famous for a herd of deer. In St. James’s Park one can admire a beautiful lake and pelicans. And the London Zoo can boast a fascinating collection of different animals, birds and reptiles.

Words and phrases to remember:

to give one’s point of view on smth. – высказывать свое мнение

to be famous for – быть знаменитым чем-либо

to admire – восхищаться

a fascinating collection – захватывающая коллекция

Answer the questions:

1. How many parks are there in London?

2. What is the biggest park?

3. What is it famous for?

4. How do the people like to spend their free time there?

5. What other parks would you like to visit? Why?

Ex. 2. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Гайд Парк знаменит озером Лидо. Это искусственное озеро, проходящее

по всей длине парка.

2. Я хочу выразить свою точку зрения по поводу этой идеи.

3. Мы восхищались красотой природы.

4. Она рассказала нам захватывающую историю о своей поездке.

Text 3. Museums of London

There are many quite different museums in London. The British Museum is the most famous in the world. Its library contains about six million books. The reference section has 30 thousand volumes on open shelves. The museum has a priceless collection of rare books, manuscripts, books printed in the XV century and the earliest editions of Shakespeare. There is a wonderful art gallery. It possesses a unique collection of sculpture, ceramics and paintings from ancient time up today. The most outstanding departments there are: the Assyrian, the Egyptian, the Greek and Roman Antiquities.

One of the newest museums is the Museum of London. Its aim is to show the history of London from the founding by Romans to nowadays.

In South Kensington there are several large museums. The Victoria and Albert Museum with a magnificent collection of fine and applied arts also includes Constable’s masterpieces, which are worth seeing.

The Natural History Museum contains plants, animals and minerals. The Hall of Human Biology tells the visitors everything about their body.

Exhibits in the Science Museum display the discovery and development of such inventions as the steam engine, photography, glass-making and atomic physics. There is a gallery where children can experiment with working models.

The Museum of British Transport tells the story of public transport in Britain.

Realism of figures and accuracy of costumes made the Wax Museum of Madame Tussaud quite famous. You may see here life-size wax portraits of kings, queens, statesmen, well-known writers, singers and even notorious criminals.

Words and phrases to remember:

to contain – содержать, состоять

to possess – обладать, располагать

to display – выставлять

to be worth seeing – быть достойным внимания

a reference book – справочник

a rare book – редкая книга

a priceless collection – бесценная коллекция

a unique exhibit – уникальная выставка

a magnificent masterpiece – великолепный шедевр

a discovery – открытие

an invention – изобретение

an accuracy, accurate – точность, точный

a notorious criminal – знаменитый преступник

Answer the questions:

1. What is the most famous museum in London?

2. What do the visitors can see there?

3. What are the largest museums in South Kensington?

4. What do these museums display in their halls?

5. What is the Wax Museum of Madam Tussaud famous for?

6. What museum would you like to visit, if you were in London?

Ex. 3. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Сигаретный дым содержит много вредных веществ.

2. Он обладал огромной коллекцией редких книг.

3. Музей представил бесценную выставку картин, на которые стоит

посмотреть.

4. Уникальная выставка великолепных шедевров искусства была открыта

вчера.

5. Ученые сделали важное открытие.

6. Изобретение телефона изменило мир.

7. Он дал точное описание преступника.

8. В музее Мадам Тюссо можно увидеть восковые фигуры известных

преступников.

Text 4. Places of interest

The historic buildings of London represent a rich variety of types, styles and periods than anywhere else in the world. Its great monuments, medieval castles and abbeys, palaces and bridges are famous throughout the world.

Westminster Abbey is one of the most distinguished of all buildings in London. It was first mentioned in the documents of the tenth century. Originally it was a church but nothing of it remained today. The present-day building was made in the gothic style. For nearly a century all the kings and queens have been crowned here. Many of them are buried there too. There are many statues, monuments and tombs here.

The Palace of Westminster was built by Edward the Confessor in about 1050 and was used as a royal residence. But in 1547 it became the meeting place for Parliament. The fire of 1834 destroyed most of the original building. The new building was created in the gothic style. The clock tower, called Big Ben, is well known to everybody. Its clock is said to be the most accurate in the world.

The Tower Bridge is a characteristic part of the London cityscape. It was built in the early nineteenth century. The bridge is 240 meters long with two massive towers in neo-gothic style and it has a mechanism that is still remarkable today. It can raise and lower the bridge in about two minutes. The Tower Bridge takes its name from the Tower of London that stands near it.

The Tower of London plays an important role in the history of the city. This outstanding castle has been a palace, prison, mint, treasury and observatory. Nowadays the Tower is a museum housing the National Collection of Armour and the Crown Jewels and Royal Regalia. The Tower is still guarded by the Yeomen, who wear the traditional sixteenth century uniform.

One of the finest Renaissance cathedrals in Europe is St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was built in 1710. The architect was Sir Christopher Wren. The church can boast of some superb carving, frescoes and drawings. The famous Whispering Gallery is a masterpiece of acoustics.

Buckingham Palace is the Royal residence. The house is comparatively new and is built in the neoclassical style. Its luxurious interior and gardens are not open to the public. But here you can see one of the most colorful ceremonies in London, the Changing of the Guard.

To all the lovers of arts it’s recommended to visit the National Gallery. It exhibits all schools of European painting from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century.

Word and phrases to remember:

to represent – представлять

to be mentioned in the documents – упоминаться

to remain - оставаться

to crown the king, to be crowned - короновать

to bury the dead, to be buried – похоронить

to destroy the original building – разрушить первоначальное здание

to create a new building – возвести новое здание

to guard the residence, to be guarded by – охранять

to wear a uniform – носить

a rich variety – богатое разнообразие

a castle – замок