Reading comprehension and vocabulary exercises. Exercise 1.Read the text LONDON and translate it
Exercise 1.Read the text LONDON and translate it.
Exercise 2.Practice the pronunciation of the following words:
square; restaurant; luxury; dialect; museum; column; statue; European; fountain; chapel; sovereign; burial; ground; cathedral; tourist.
Exercise 3.Read and guess the meaning of the international words:
restaurant, elegant, grand hotels, dock, industrial, commercial centre, office, bank, column, statue, platform, meeting, demonstration, avenue, National Gallery, collection, fountain, gothic style, memorial, museum, legend, architect, tourist, cafe.
Exercise 4.Listen, pronounce and remember:
The river Thames, London, William of Normandy, Cockney, Trafalgar Square, Admiral Nelson column, The National Gallery, Piccadilly Circus, Eros statue, Regent Street, Soho, Shaftesbury Avenue, Fleet Street, The Strand, Oxford Street, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey,
Edward the Confessor, The Tower of London, The Raven Master, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Christopher Wren.
Exercise 5.Join suitable parts:
A: Fleet, Trafalgar, Admiral Nelson, The Houses of, Shaftesbury, The London, Christopher, Edward, Westminster, Eros, The National, Cockney, Piccadilly, The Raven, The River, Buckingham.
B: Column, Street, Parliament, Square, Palace, Avenue, Tower, Wren, Abbey, the Confessor, dialect, Gallery, Statue, Master, London, Circus, Cathedral, Thames.
Exercise 6.Answer the following questions:
1.Who founded London? When?
2.What happened to London in 1666?
3.Which parts is London divided into? Name them.
4.What can you say about Cockney?
5.Name the streets, which lead to Piccadilly Circus.
6.What is Soho?
7.What is official name of the Houses of Parliament?
8.When was it built?
9.When was Westminster Abbey founded and by whom?
10.What does the word «The Raven Master» mean?
11.What do you know about St. Paul’s Cathedral?
Exercise 7.Give Russian equivalents for the following phrases:
turn into; a heap of ashes; insist on building on the old foundations; narrow and winding streets; divide into; is associated with wealth; the London slums; commercial and business centre; is famous for; a statue of; the entertainment centre; was built by; in Gothic style; was destroyed by; a fortress; the Roman
conquerors; founded Londinium by settling and fortifying two small hills; the owners of the land; spectacular; unique design; a huge business complex; protect the Crown Jewels; defeat the French; the crypt of the chapel was saved; left-hand traffic.
Exercise 8.Say whether it is true or false using formulas of agreement and disagreement:
Agreement:
Yes, I agree entirely here. – Я полностью согласeн.
I couldn’t agree more. – Всецело согласен.
I’m of the same opinion. – Я того жe мнeния.
Yes, that’s true. – Да, это правда.
I think so. – Я тожe так думаю.
That’s a fine way of putting it. – Прекрасно сказано.
Disagreement:
It’s not all the same thing. – Это нe одно и то жe.
I see your point but… - Я понимаю вашу точку зрeния, но…
Just the other way round! – Как раз наоборот.
I shouldn’t say so! – Я бы так нe сказал.
You can’t be serious. – Ты нe можeшь говорить это сeрьeзно.
It might be right but… - Можeт быть правильно, но…
1. London is the capital of the USA. 2. It was founded in 43 AD by the Roman conquerors. 3. After the Great Fire the capital was turned into a heap of ashes. 4. In the West End there are many docks, plants and factories. 5. The City is the commercial and business centre of London. 6. The statue of Admiral Nelson is situated in Buckingham Palace. 7. Soho is the entertainment centre of London. 8. The Houses of Parliament stand on the seashore. 9. Only Westminster Hall and the crypt were saved after the fire. 10. Westminster Abbey was founded in the middle of the 11th century by Edward the Confessor. 11.London is famous for double-deckers, terraced houses and right-hand traffic. 12. Tower Bridge is the most spectacular of the bridges.
Exercise 9.Complete the following sentences:
1.London is one of …
2.The Roman conquerors of Britain …
3.In 1666 the City of London …
4.This natural disaster gave …
5.London today stretches …
6.The name of the «West End» is …
7.The East End has …
8.Trafalgar Square is …
9.That famous Eros statue …
10.Everyone knows that …
11.St. Paul’s Cathedral is …
12.Madame Tussaud’s has …
13.Windsor Castle is …
14.Tower Bridge is the most …
Exercise 10.Remember the situations from the text or dialogues where the following phrases or proper names can be used:
to conquer, to defeat, a heap of ashes, a church, to insist on, William of Normandy; tower, impressive, warden, the Ceremony of the Keys; double-decker, terraced houses, to catch a glimpse of, to make an
impression on, huge; Admiral Nelson; Edward the Confessor; Sir Christopher Wren; The Houses of Parliament; Jack London.
Communicative exercises
Exercise 1.Divide the text into parts, name them and retell.
Exercise 2.Speak about the four parts of London:
1.As if you are a native Londoner.
2.As if you are a guide meeting the group of foreigners.
3.As if you are a teacher of history, giving a lecture on the history of London.
Exercise 3.Make up and act out your own dialogues using the following key-words:
financial and commercial centre, to be famous for, palace, abbey, huge, to catch a glimpse of, to make an impression on, impressive, cathedral, to destroy, to be associated with.
Exercise 4.Make up and act out conversations between:
-- The English guide and the Russian tourist.
-- Two Russians, who are going to leave for London.
Exercise 5.Speak on the following situations:
1.London is a very old city. 2.The East End is the worker’s district. 3.The London there are many sights a visitors wants to see. 4.There is not only one Tower on the site. 5.Everything in London makes a great impression on everybody. 6.The Tower Bridge is unique in design.
Exercise 6.Imagine that you have just returned from London, speak about London to your group-mates.
Holidays in Great Britain