Hyde Park Kensington Gardens

London’s red telephone boxes and red double-deckers are symbols of London. In 1985 the famous telephone boxes were replaced by modern ones. The public protested so much that the old ones were out back in the main tourist areas. In the early 1990s London’s red double-deckers were privatized and companies wanted to paint their buses in their company colours. The government ruled that all buses had to stay red because that was what the people of London wanted.

London’s Red Double-Decker London’s Red Telephone Box

And it is very difficult to imagine that the British will ever agree to change from driving on the left-hand side of the road to driving on the right-hand side or they will decide to change the colour of their

London’s Black Taxi

world-known black taxis. Why should they change just to be like everyone else?

2. Vocabulary. Formal and Informal Language. Which of these different sentences and phrases are formal or informal?

1. this didn’t happen by chance / this is no coincidence

2. as it was called / that’s what people called it

3. the river was vital to trade and travel / the river was really important for trade and travel

4. bringing in and sending goods to sell / importing and exporting goods for sale

5. happened often / were frequent

6. conditions have greatly improved / things are much better now

7. was really different / changed profoundly

8. Londoners liked the Thames a lot / the river has become a source of pleasure to Londoners

9. they finished it in seven years / it took seven years to complete