Words to remember

Birthplace [´ə:θpleis] место рождения, родина

Financial [faı´nӕnʃ(ə)l] финансовый

A royal residence королевская резиденция

Fortress [´fɔtrıs] крепость

To house вмещать. содержать

Armour [´ɑ: mə] доспехи

To destroy [dsı´trɔı] разрушать

Location местоположение, расположение

Bank берег

To strike ударять, бить (о часах)

Sights [saıts] достопримечательность

To be buried быть похороненным

To take place происходить, случаться

To accompany [ə´kʌmp(ə)nı] сопровождать

Onlooker [´ɔnˏlukə] зритель, наблюдатель

To be associated [ə´souʃıeıtıd] быть связанным

Wealth [welθ] богатство

Luxury [´lʌkʃ(ə)rı] роскошь

Unimpressive невпечатляющий, невыразительный

Narrow узкий, тесный

Desirable [dı´zaıərəbl] желанный, приятный

Suburb [´sʌbə:b] пригород, окраина Stock Exchange Фондовая биржа; Old Bailey Центральный уголовный суд; Houses of Parliament Палаты Парламента; the Tower of London Лондонский Тауэр

The Crown Jewels драгоценности из королевской казны

St. Paul’s Cathedral собор Святого Павла

Westminster Abbey Вестминстерское аббатство

Buckingham Palace Букингемский дворец

Trafalgar Square Трафальгарская битва

Exercises

1. Answer the questions.

1. When was London founded?

2. What is the population of London?

3. What parts does London consist of?

4. What is the oldest part of London?

5. Why the City is called the business centre of London?

6. Where are most of Government buildings situated?

7. What places of interest does Westminster include?

8. What is the official London residence of the Queen?

9. Where is the largest clock in the country located?

10. What is the West End famous for?

11. Why is the central square in London named Trafalgar Square?

12. What do you know about the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery?

13What is the British Museum famous for?

14. What is the East End?

15. What is situated in the East End?

16. If you have a chance to stay in London what would you like to visit first?

2. Say in what part of London you can see the popular sights. Use the chart of the sights.

Sights	Part of London
St. Paul´s Cathedral Houses of Parliament Bank of England Big Ben Trafalgar Square Tower of London Westminster Abbey The Port of London	The City The West end The East End Westminster

3. Imagine the following situations.

a). You are a clerk at the Tourist Information Centre. Suggest a visitor of London to take a tour through London. Use the model you´d better take.

For ideas: an organized tour, a short guided tour, a boat trip on the Thames, an air tour in a helicopter.

b). You are on your business trip to London. You want to see the most famous sights but you haven´t much time. You ask your partner Mr. Johnson to recommend you a short tour on your own. These are Mr. Johnson´s recommendations.

For ideas:

1. If you have plenty of money you would go…

2. If you like history you´d better go…

3. If you interest in architecture you may go…

c). You are a guide showing London´s sights to a group of tourists (when speaking uses the map of London).

4. Read the text and make short dialogues.

London parks

London can really boast about its variety of parks. London parks are spectacular and truly amazing. You can never imagine city such as London to have so much green and open space. In every part of London you can find at least one park. It doesn't matter if it's just a small pool with surrounding trees or a park like the magnificent and slightly wild in appearance Richmond Park. Considering sheer numbers of London parks we will concentrate on most popular ones.

Hyde Park is the most prominent and famous London park. Surrounded from north with Queensway and Bayswater (plenty of youth hotels and hostels including Whitley’s shopping centre), with Mayfair (American Embassy, Bond Street, the Intercontinental hotel) from east, Kensington on west (nice small shops on Kensington Church Street) and Knightsbridge on south (Exhibition Road, Royal Albert Hall, Harrods shop, Belgrave Square with Embassies), this park has the best London location from where you can reach main shopping areas. Being 360 acres in size it can take some time to cross it over. In summer time there is an option of renting a small boat and gently paddling in the lake, having refreshing drink or maybe fishing in certain allocated places. You will need a license for fishing so please purchase one before you come here. If you are into roller-skating this is the place for you. At the Speakers Corner you are free to scream at the whole wide world or have a normal debate with strangers about topics that interest you. Kensington Palace can be found in Kensington Gardens, part of Hyde Park. If you would like to pay tribute to late Princess Diana go there. After her death thousands upon thousands of people came just to lay the flowers and leave cards.

St. James´s Park is the oldest and perhaps one of the most attractive of London parks. Its lake is a bird sanctuary and attracts many rare ducks and waterfowl including pelicans.

Regent´s Park, situated in northwest London can offer you variety of fun and leisure. Inside the park is boating lake where you can yet rent a boat and take pictures of birds nesting on an island found in the middle of lake. Regent´s Park is famous for its rose garden containing some 40000 rose bushes. On the north side of the park is London Zoo. Following recent renovations and installation of new cages you can see endangered species and help the animals by adopting them. The park is also the home of Regent College with many foreign students who have come here for further education.

Close to Regent´s Park there is a small park called Primrose Hill Park. During the summer months and whenever we have nice sunny day, many people go there to sunbathe or read the newspaper and gently doze off. It offers a nice view of central London if you can manage to climb to the top.

London parks are wonderful. They are called the “lungs” of the city. Walking in the parks you have the feeling that you are far away in the country, not in the centre of one of the largest cities of the world.

5. Read the text and summarize it.