Лондон Великобритания Лондон — столица и самый большой город Англии и Соединенного Королевства. а также крупнейший город Европейского Союза. История Лондона, одного из крупнейших городов второго тысячелетия, уходит к основанию его в... Далее www.tourister.ru/world/europe/united-kingdom/city/london

London 2

London 

London is the capital of Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is an old city, its history counts more than two thousand years. London is both the capital oi the country and a huge port. London is situated upon both banks of the Thames, about forty miles from the mouth and is divided into two parts by the river: north and south. There are 17 bridges that cross the river. The population of London is more than 9 million people.

The history of London goes back to Roman times. Due to favourable geographical position, soon after the Roman conquest, a small town became an important trade centre. Actually, London can be divided into several parts: the City or Downtown of London, Westminster, the West End and the East End. The City is the oldest part of London with narrow streets and pavements. There are many offices, companies and banks in this part of London. The City of London is the financial centre of the United Kingdom. Only a few thousand people live there, but in the day-time it is full of people: as about half a million people come to work there. The biggest Banks and offices are concentrated in the City. The West End is the centre of London. It is full of richest hotels, largest supermarkets, best cinemas and concerthalls. There are a lot of beautiful houses and gardens. Only well-to-do people can live there.

Another important district of London is Westminster, where most of Government buildings are situated. Westminster Palace is the seat of the British Parliament. Westminster Palace was founded in 1050. It is situated in the centre of London. Many great Englishmen were buried in the Abbey: Newton, Darwin and others.
The Towers of the Houses of Parliament stand high above the city. On the highest tower there is the largest clock in the country which is known to the whole world as Big Ben. One can hear Big Ben strike every quarter of an hour. The clock «Big Ben» came into service in 1859. Big Ben is the biggest clock bell in Britain. The official London residence of the Queen is Buckingham Palace. It was built in the 18th century.

There are many nice squares in London. Trafalgar Square is one of them and it is in the centre of the West End. One can see a statue of Lord Nelson in the middle of this square. There are many museums, libraries and galleries in London. The Tate Gallery is one of the well-known galleries in London. Henry Tate was a sugar manufacturer. He was fond of paintings and collected many pictures. The British Museum is a very interesting place in London. It was founded in 1753. The library of this museum has lots of books.

The East End of London is the industrial area and the place where the working people live. There are many factories, workshops and docks there. The East End, lying eastwards from the City is very large and crowded. There are many cars and buses in London. There is the Tube (an underground) in London too. The underground, constructed in London, was the first underground in the World.
 

Лондон (3)

Лондон является столицей Великобритании или Объединенного Королевства Великобритании и Северной Ирландии, Он является старым городом, его история насчитывает более двух тысяч лет. Лондон является и столицей страны и огромным портом. Лондон расположен на обоих берегах реки Темзы, приблизительно в сорока милях от устья и разделен рекой на две части: северную и южную. Реку пересекают семнадцать мостов. Население Лондона превышает 9 миллионов человек.

История Лондона восходит к римским временам. Из-за благоприятного географического положения, вскоре после завоевания римлянами, маленький город стал важным торговым центром. Фактически Лондон может быть разделен на несколько частей: Сити, или деловой центр Лондона, Вестминстер, Вест-Энд и Ист-Энд. Сити, с узкими улицами и тротуарами, является самой старой частью Лондона. В этой части Лондона находится много офисов, компаний и банков. Лондонский Сити является финансовым центром Великобритании. Там проживает только несколько тысяч людей, но днем здесь полно людей: так как приблизительно полмиллиона людей приезжает сюда на работу. Самые крупные банки и офисы находятся в Сити. Вест-Энд является центром Лондона. Он полон самыми богатыми гостиницами, самыми большими супермаркетами, лучшими кинотеатрами и концертными залами. Здесь расположено много красивых зданий и садов. Только зажиточные люди могут жить там.

Другой важный район Лондона — Вестминстер, где расположено большинство правительственных зданий. Вестминстерский дворец — место заседания Британского парламента. Вестминстерский дворец был основан в 1050 году. Он расположен в центре Лондона. Многие великие англичане были похоронены в этом Аббатстве: Ньютон, Дарвин и другие. Башни зданий парламента возвышаются над городом. На самой высокой башне имеются самые большие часы в стране, которые известны всему миру как Биг Бен (Большой Бен). Бой часов Биг Бен можно слышать каждые четверть часа. Часы Биг Бен начали свою службу в 1859 году. Биг Бен является самыми большими часами с колоколом в Англии. Официальная лондонская резиденция королевы находится в Букингемском дворце. Он был построен в 18-м столетии.

В Лондоне расположено много прекрасных площадей. Трафальгарская площадь — одна из них, она расположена в центре Вэст-Энда. В центре этой площади можно увидеть статую лорда Нельсона. В Лондоне есть много музеев, библиотек и галерей. Тейтская галерея — одна из хорошо известных галерей Лондона. Генри Тейт был производителем сахара. Он очень любил картины и собрал много картин. Британский музей является очень интересным местом в Лондоне. Он был основан в 1753 году. Библиотека этого музея имеет большое количество книг.

Лондонский Ист-Энд является индустриальной областью и местом, где живут рабочие. Там много фабрик, цехов и доков. Ист-Энд находится в восточном направлении от Сити, очень большой и перенаселенный. В Лондоне много автомобилей и автобусов. В Лондоне есть метрополитен, который называется «труба». Метрополитен, построенный в Лондоне, был первым метрополитеном в мире.
 

Questions:

1. Is London a young city?
2. Where is London situated?
3. How many bridges cross the river Thames?
4. What was that favourable feature which made London to be an important trade centre soon after the Roman conquest?
5. What is the oldest part of London?
6. What is situated in the West End?
7. Can poor people afford to live in the West End?
8. Where are most of Government buildings situated?
9. Where is the largest clock in the country located?
10. How often does Big Ben strike?
11. When did the clock «Big Ben» come into service?
12. What is the official London residence of the Queen?
13. What square is in the centre of the West End situated?
14. When was the British Museum founded?
15. How is the area where most working people live called? " 6. How is London underground called?

Vocabulary:

to count — насчитывать
huge — большой, гигантский, громадный, огромный
bank — берег (реки)
mouth — устье
due to — благодаря; вследствие; в результате
favourable — благоприятный
conquest — завоевание (процесс покорения народов, земель и т. д.)
trade — торговля
downtown — деловой район, деловая часть города, бизнес-центр
narrow — узкий, тесный
pavement — мостовая, тротуар
well-to-do people — преуспевающие, обеспеченные люди
district — район; округ; область
to be buried — быть похороненным, захороненным
to strike — ударять, бить (о часах)
quarter — четверть, пятнадцать минут
eastwards — на восток, в восточном направлении
crowded — переполненный, перенаселенный
the Tube — «труба» (Лондонское метро)

http://www.alleng.ru/english/top.htm 

London city

London city

City, capital of the United Kingdom and the centre of the Commonwealth. It lies astride the River Thames in southeastern England, 50 miles (80 km) from the river's estuary on the North Sea. The city was once the industrial, commercial, and political hub of a wealthy and extensive empire; it continues to be the United Kingdom's main centre of population, commerce, and culture. A brief treatment of London follows. For full treatment (including a map), see London.
The chalk basin within which London is built is filled with younger sediments including solid rock, sands, clays, terraced pebble gravels, and Thames alluvium. The climate within the basin is relatively mild, with January to July mean temperatures ranging from 37.4 to 72.5 F (3 to 22.5 C); rainfall amounts to 21 inches (533 mm) a year.
Founded by the Romans as Londinium in the 1st century AD, the town experienced tremendous growth in trade and population during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Extensive building projects were initiated after the Great Fire of 1666, and London became the dominant centre not only of the nation but of its expanding empire. During the 19th century, the problems caused by rapid industrialization, such as pollution and disease, were slowly remedied through advances in public health and other services. Heavy damage from aerial bombings during World War II brought the greatest setback in the history of modern London. Reconstruction and new development restored much of the city's grandeur, and relocation of manufacturing and shipping outside the city shrank its population and hastened its transition to a centre of international trade and finance. Tourism and retail trade are other major sectors of the city's economy; and, because London is the nation's capital, government services are also an important sector.
The City of London, about 1 square mile (2.7 square km) in area, is the core of an area called Inner, or Central, London, which contains the City of London and 13 of the 33 boroughs of Greater London. The central point in the City of London is an open space from which eight streets radiate. On the southern side is Mansion House, residence of the lord mayor of London. Lombard Street, the traditional banking street, is nearby, as are the Bank of England headquarters, the Royal Exchange, and the Stock Exchange. To the east is the fortress-castle known as the Tower of London, whose core dates from the late 11th century and is surrounded by constructions from many periods of English architecture. To the west lie the Inns of Court, longtime chambers and offices of barristers and lawyers-in-training, and the Royal Courts of Justice, or Law Courts. The City of London and the City of Westminster are linked by the Strand, an avenue upon which are located two of London's oldest churches, St. Clement Dane's and St. Mary-le-Strand.
The City of Westminster, which stretches along the River Thames, is one of the country's wealthiest boroughs and is famed for its commitment to historic renovation. It includes Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the principal government offices, important shopping districts, New Scotland Yard, luxury hotels, the Tate Gallery, and the National Gallery. Retail shopping areas are concentrated around Oxford Street. Kensington High Street and Knightsbridge are also major shopping districts. The shops spread west and south toward King's Road in Chelsea.
London's East End, containing neighbourhoods such as Aldgate and Whitechapel, now constitutes the borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is historically associated with the Cockney dialect and became an infamous slum during the 19th century. The East End was the most heavily bombed area of London during World War II and subsequently benefited from extensive rehabilitation.
Parks, gardens, and churchyards abound in Inner London. The most celebrated parklands are the six royal parks that sweep through London's West End: St. James's Park, oldest of the six central royal parks, bordered on the north by the half-mile-long Mall that terminates at the Queen Victoria Memorial; Buckingham Palace Gardens, bordered on the east by the royal residence; Green Park, plainest of the royal parks but fringed on the east by lavish, once-private buildings; Hyde Park, with its famous Speakers' Corner for soapbox orators; the more elegant Kensington Gardens, with the Victorian Gothic Albert Memorial and an 80-acre (32-hectare) cultural centre; and Regent's Park, home of the Zoological Gardens and Regent's (Grand Union) Canal.
Squares and variously shaped commons are prominent features of London's landscape. Of note are Grosvenor Square, site of the F.D. Roosevelt Memorial, and Trafalgar Square, which features a statue of Lord Nelson, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar (1805); the National Gallery borders the square.
London's other major cultural institutions include the British Museum, which houses collections of antiquities, prints, and manuscripts and the national library; the Victoria and Albert Museum of decorative arts; and the music and arts complex located on the South Bank of the Thames, begun in 1951 for the Festival of Britain.
The development of the city's outlying areas was promoted by the opening of the world's first electric underground railway in 1890. Major roads and rail lines radiate in all directions. Dock activity and river traffic are controlled by the Port of London Authority. The London (Heathrow) International Airport is located in the western reaches of Greater London. Area City, 1 square mile (2.7 square km); Inner London, 124 square miles (321 square km); Greater London, 610 square miles (1,579 square km). Pop. (1992 est.) City, 3,900; Inner London, 2,632,100; Greater London, 6,904,600.

London

London

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world (together with Tokyo and New York) and the largest city in Europe.
The city is very old. It has more then 20 centuries old history. Once, London was a small Roman town on the north bank of the Thames, but slowly it grew into one of the world’s major cities with population of about 8 million. Fewer people live in the centre now, but the suburbs are still growing.
Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.
The city is the oldest part of London, it's financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. Two masterpieces are situated within the City: St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was built in the 11th century. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it's a museum.
Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives and the Houses of Parliament stretching for nearly 1000 feet along the north bank of the Thames. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as "Big Ben".
Westminster Abbey is the place where coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here as well as some other famous people of the country (G. Chaucer, Tennyson, Newton, Ch. Dickens, T. Hardy, R. Kipling, etc.).
The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parkland houses are situated there. English aristocracy lives in this region. One of the busiest streets in the West End is Oxford street. There are many various shops in it which attract customers from different countries of the world.
By the day the whole of London is busy. At night, the offices are quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas, and in nearby Soho pubs, restaurants and night-clubs are busy half the night.
Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson's victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square.
Opposite the Nelson’s monument is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. They contain the finest art collections in the world. Not far from the National Gallery is the British Museum famous for its rich library (about 7,000,000 books).
One of the most popular museums in London is Madame Tussaud’s. Almost every visitor has seen Madame Tussaud, an old lady of 81 standing at the entrance of her own exhibition. She is made of wax, like all the models of people in the museum. Madame Tussaud’s brings together a host contemporary celebrities from many different walks of life during many centuries. Kings and queens, politicians and military leaders, presidents and writers, scientists and musicians, actors and actresses stand, sit and lie in many different rooms of exhibition. The history of Madame Tussaud’s goes back over 200 years during which time the exhibition has formed an integral part of experience of countless million of visitor to London.
The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London there. The region is densely populated by working class families, those people who have built the palaces of the West End. Old residents of the East End are proud to be called cockneys, which means true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area. They love the district very much.
London is situated on the river Thames. A hundred years ago, the river was crowded by ships, leaving for Java and Japan, New Zealand and New York, but now people travel by air, and London’s main airport, Heathrow, is one of the busiest in the world.
The London Underground is the oldest one in the world. The first line, opened in the middle of XIX century, was like a tube. That’s why it was called the Tube.
Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. Sit on the grass (you’re allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, and you will think that you’re in the countryside, miles away.
London is one of the world’s most enjoyable capitals of Europe.