Vocabulary

heir	наследник	monarchy	монархия
abdication	отречение	keen promoter	ярый защитник
to make one's broadcast	выступать в радиопередаче	the Royal Navy	Королевский флот
duke	герцог	outspoken	откровенный, прямой
to crown	короновать	controversial	противоречивый
welfare	благосостояние	to signify	выражать
for short	сокращенно	annual	годовой

10. Answer the questions using text 1e.

1. By whom is the British royal family headed at present?

2. When was the Queen Elizabeth crowned?

3. What did the Queen Elizabeth study as a child?

4. What tradition did she start?

5. When was the Queen's husband born?

6. What does he take a great interest in?

7. Who did Prince Charles marry?

8. What are the names of the Queen's other children?

11. Make up the scheme of the royal family. Retell the text.

12. Tell about Great Britain using this plan:

1. Country and people:

• Country statistical data;

• Population;

• National holidays and traditions;

• Regions and administrative division;

• Cities and towns.

2. Geography:

• Climate;

• Terrain;

• Natural resources;

• Rivers;

• Lakes;

• Plant life;

• Animal life.

3. History:

• Early population;

• Middle Ages;

• Modern history.

4. Political system:

• Head of state;

• Parliament;

• Political parties;

• Court system;

• National symbols;

• Economical situation and industries;

• International political position and membership in international organizations.

TOPIC 2. THE SIGHTS OF LONDON

Warm-up

1. What historical and geographical circumstances have made London one of the most commercial and cultural centres?

2. Do you know anything about the history of London?

3. London has no single centre. Do you know why it is so?

4. What places of interest in London do you know?

1. Read Text 2a and translate it using Vocabulary. Text 2a. London and its history

London is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom, its political, economic, and commercial centre. It is one of the largest, oldest, and most interesting cities in the world and the largest city in Europe.

About 8 million of people live in London itself, and together with surrounding territories that form the London metropolis its population counts between 12 and 14 million.

To say how large the territory that London occupies is you need first to decide what you mean by London. Usually by this word people mean the conurbation known as Greater London which consists of 32 boroughs and also includes the City of London. Greater London in its full extent covers 625 square miles.

The river Thames on which London stands is navigable and that played an important part in the city's development. London was founded on its north bank, and since for many centuries London Bridge was the only one across Thames, the city centre is on the north bank too. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The Thames Barrier was constructed across the Thames at Woolwich in the 1970s to deal with this threat.

London was founded in the first century AD by the Romans. They left London in the 5th century and the city was largely abandoned. By the 8th century London was again a busy trading centre, and in the 11th century it became the capital of England. Edward the Confessor built a palace and an abbey at Westminster. During the Norman period the Tower, old St. Paul's Cathedral, and many churches and monasteries were constructed.

Medieval London grew in importance as a trading centre and in 1215 its citizens won the right to elect their own leader, or Lord Mayor. London began to spread beyond the original city walls during the Tudor and Stuart periods.

The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed three-quarters of the city, but after it Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt St. Paul's Cathedral and designed 51 churches. The rebuilding of London followed the medieval street plan, but the old wooden houses were replaced by buildings of brick to reduce the fire risk in future.

During the 19th century London spread rapidly into the suburbs. As a result of it, new forms of transport were developed, including the underground railway system. Britain was then at the height of its imperial power and this is expressed in such buildings as the Houses of Parliament and St. Pancreas Station.

The most important event in the development of London in the 20th century was the Blitz, the bombardments during World War II which destroyed a lot of London buildings. The rebuilding that followed was of mixed quality and style and since then lack of architectural unity became typical for the city.

Most of commercial activity in London takes place in Westminster, the main cultural, entertainment, and shopping district. It also houses the country government and, together with the City, most of London's major corporate headquarters. The City of London (also known as ‘the Square Mile’) is the banking centre of the world. While very busy during the working week, most parts of it are usually quiet at weekends, since it is primarily a non-residential area.

England's most important universities are Oxford and Cambridge. London University, however, takes the third place. It is the largest university in the United Kingdom and in Europe and consists of over 50 colleges and institutes, some of them, like University College London, King's College, or the London School of Economics, are quite famous. Besides these the city has some universities which are not part of the University of London and also other colleges and schools.

As the most important city in the country London has traditionally played a big part in its culture, becoming home for many writers, artists, and musicians and a place for many important theatrical, musical events, exhibitions, and festivals. With time the city also became a home to more than 300 nationalities which shaped its culture and gave it unusual richness.

London is one of the world's main tourist centres. There's such a lot to see, especially in the city centre: historic sites, architectural monuments, Royal palaces and ceremonies, museums, galleries, theatres and shows. Everyone can find something interesting in the city; after all, as Dr Johnson said, when you're tired of London, you're tired of life.