The capital of great britain

London is the capital of Great Britain. It is the political, industrial and cultural centre of the country. London is 2 thousand years old. 7 mln people live in London. London stands on the River Thames.

The City is the oldest part of London. It’s the business centre if the capital. There are a lot of banks and large offices in the City.

The main square in London is Trafalgar Square, but Piccadilly Circus is also very beautiful and busy. In the middle of Trafalgar Square is the Nelson’s column. Admiral Nelson is England’s national hero.

They say, Piccadilly is the heart of London. Here you can find the best music store and Rock Circus Museum. In the centre of the round square you can see the Statue of Eros. There is a lot of advertisement around. At night Piccadilly Circus is a colourful sight.

There are many beautiful monuments and buildings in London, such as Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, which are very old churches, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

The Tower of London is a museum now but many years ago it was a fortress, a royal residence and a prison.

Madam Tussaud’s Museum of wax figures is very popular among tourists. Not far from Piccadilly Circus is Oxford Street, which is very good for shopping. Big Ben is the main clock in London.

[Picture 1.10 – Big Ben]

References: the City - Сити, деловой район в Лондоне; Trafalgar Square – Трафальгарская площадь ; Piccadilly Circus – площадь в Лондоне в виде круга ; St Paul’s Cathedral- собор святого Павла; Tower of London- Тауэр ; Tower Bridge- Тауэрский мост ; Madam Tussaud’s Museum- музей восковых фигур Мадам Тюссо .

Ex.1. Ask your friend:

- if London is an old city.

- if London is one of the largest cities in the world.

- what the City of London is?

- which the main square in London is .

- if Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly look alike or they are different?

- which the most famous buildings in London are ?

- what tourists like to visit in London?

Ex.2. Make up questions to the following answers.

1. London is 2000 years old.

2. London stands on the River Thames.

3. In the middle of Trafalgar Square is the Nelson’s column.

4. Admiral Nelson is England’s national hero.

5. Madam Tussaud’s Museum has a lot of wax figures.

6. Big Ben is the main clock in London.

Ex.3. What else do your know about London? Speak about the capital of Great Britain.

What is interesting for tourists in london?

If you are in London , you can start going sightseeing with Piccadilly Circus. It's difficult to say what the real centre of London is, but many people choose Piccadilly Circus. It is called "Circus" because it is round. Piccadilly Circus is the heart of London. There is a large underground station where several different lines meet. The Underground ticket hall has entrances from all the streets, leading to the Circus.

Not far from Piccadilly there are the best-known theatres and cinemas and most famous restaurants. In the evening Piccadilly is full of people going to the theatre or to the cinema or to the restaurant. Many others are walking and talking. Among them you can meet foreign visitors from the continent and overseas (and you can hear different languages).

Whitehall is one of the most important streets in London. There are many government offices in this street, such as the Home Office, the Treasury, the War Office, the Admiralty and many others.

A little street on the west side of Whitehall is Downing Street, the residence of Prime Minister. Opposite the Home Office in the middle of the street is the Cenotaph - a monument to the heroes of the two wars. Every day people bring flowers to this monument.

One of the sights of London is the Horse Guards. "Horse Guards" is both the old building in Whitehall and the Queen's cavalry. At the gates of the Horse Guards two horse guards on duty always stand. The guard is changed every hour. This is a very interesting ceremony to watch. The horse guards wear red and white uniforms with big black riding-boots and big silver helmets. They carry swords. Neither men nor horses move, they stand like statues. Tourists stand around and take pictures.

[picture 1.5 – Household Cavalry]

References: Whitehall - Уайтхолл ( улица в Лондоне, на которой расположены правительственные учреждения ); the Home Office - министерство внутренних дел Великобритании; Treasury - казначейство, министерство финансов; War Office - военное министерство; Admiralty - Адмиралтейство, военно-морское министерство; the Cenotaph — памятник в Лондоне в память погибших во время первой и второй мировой войны; Horse Guards - королевская конная гвардия.

Ex.1. Answer the questions.

1. Where is it better to start sightseeing in London?

2. What can you say about Piccadilly underground station?

3. Are there any parks around Piccadilly?

4. Why is Piccadilly Circus very busy in the evening?

5. What kind of street is Whitehall?

6. Is the residence of Prime Minister in Whitehall?

7. What monument is there opposite the Home Office?

8. Is the "Horse Guards" a building or a cavalry?

8. What ceremony is very interesting for tourists?

9. What do the horse guards wear?

Ex.2. What sights of London do you know?

Ex.3. Make up dialogues on the situations:

a) Imagine that you’ve just come from London. Your friend wants to know all about the capital of Great Britain. Give answers to his (her) questions.

b) One of you is a guide. The others are tourists. Ask your guide about London.