London is not only the political, economic and cultural centre of the United Kingdom. It is the main tourist attraction of the country. There are a lot of places of interest in London which attract thousands of tourists every year. They usually want to see Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London.
Westminster is now the political centre of London. In the 11th century King Edward the Confessor decided to build a great abbey church there. There are many royal tombs in the Abbey, like the tomb of Edward the Confessor himself, and memorials to famous men and women. The most popular ones are those to writers, poets and musicians in the Poet's Corner. William the Conqueror was crowned there, and since then all the coronations have taken place in the Abbey.
During the reign of Edward the Confessor the Palace of Westminster was built, too. It was the royal residence and also the country's main court. The Parliament met here since the 16th till the 19th century. The present Houses of Parliament were built after the fire in the Palace of Westminster in 1834. There are two houses in the Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. St. Stephen's Tower of the Houses of Parliament contains the famous Big Ben.
Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official London residence. Londoners usually watch the Changing of the Guards in the forecourt of the palace. It lasts about 30 minutes.
St Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece. It was built since 1675 until 1709. It is crowned with a huge dome. Inside the dome there is the famous Whispering Gallery. There are many memorials in the Cathedral, including memorials to Wellington and Nelson.
The Tower of London is associated with many important events in the British history. It has been a fortress, a palace, a prison, a mint. The Tower of London is famous for its prisoners, like Sir Thomas More and Guy Fawkes. The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror to protect the city. The Tower is guarded by «Beefeaters», the Yeomen Guards.
London is noted for its museums and art galleries. Among them are the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate, the Museum of London, the Museum of Moving Image, Madame Tussau's Museum and many others.
Topical Vocabulary
the main tourist attraction – главный предмет интереса туристов
to attract thousands of tourists – привлекать тысячи туристов
King Edward the Confessor - король Эдуард Исповедник
an abbey church – церковь аббатства
aroyal tomb – гробница короля или королевы
memorials to famous men and women - мемориалы известных людей
the Poet's Corner - Уголок поэтов
William the Conqueror - Вильгельм Завоеватель
to be crowned - короноваться
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a coronation - коронация
during the reign of smb. – во время правления кого-либо
the royal residence – королевская резиденция
the country's main court – верховный суд страны
to contain smth – содержать что-либо
the Queen's official residence – официальная резиденция королевы
the Changing of the Guards - смена караула
in the forecourt of the palace - перед дворцом
a masterpiece - шедевр
to be crowned with a huge dome – быть увенчанным огромным куполом
the Whispering Gallery – Галерея шепота
to be associated with smth. – быть связанным с чем-либо
an event - событие
a fortress - крепость
a mint – монетный двор
to protect smth. – защищать что-либо
to be guarded by smb. – охраняться кем-либо
a Beefeater - бифитер
a Yeoman Guard – стражник-йомен
to be noted for smth. – быть знаменитым чем-либо
an art gallery – художественная галерея
the Museum of Moving Image – Музей кино
Answer the questions:
1. What are the main tourist attractions in London?
2. What is Westminster Abbey noted for?
3. What is the history of the Houses of Parliament?
4. What is Buckingham Palace?
5. What is St. Paul's Cathedral famous for?
6. What is the Tower of London associated with?
7. What world-famous museums are there in London?
Translate into English:
1. Предметами интереса туристов в Лондоне являются Вестминстерское аббатство, Парламент, Букингемский дворец, собор Святого Павла.
2. В Вестминстерском аббатстве, построенном Эдуардом Исповедником, находятся гробницы королей и мемориалы известных людей.
3. Все коронации проводятся в Вестминстерском аббатстве.
4. Во время правления Эдуарда Исповедника дворец был королевской резиденцией; там также располагался верховный суд.
5. Букингемский дворец - официальная лондонская резиденция английской королевы; он известен также сменой караула.
6. Шедевр сэра Кристофера Рена, собор Святого Павла, увенчан огромным куполом.
7. Лондонский Тауэр, построенный для защиты Лондона, был крепостью, дворцом, тюрьмой и монетным двором.
8. Тауэр известен также стражниками - иоменами, или бифитерами.