Transcript Welcome to London!

Welcome to London!
London
London is the capital of Great
Britain, its political, economic and
cultural centre. It is one of the
largest cities in the world. Its
population is more than 11 million
people. London is situated on the
river Thames. The city is very old
and beautiful. It was founded more
than two thousands years ago.
Traditionally London is divided into
several parts: the City, the West
End and the East End. The City is
the oldest part of London, its
financial and business centre. The
West End is the part where rich
people live. It is the most beautiful
part of London. The East End is an
industrial district of London.
Tower of London
It was founded by William the
Conqueror as a Royal Residence. It
has been a citadel, royal palace,
seat of government and also the
scene of some of the bloodiest
events in English history. Kings,
queens, princes and people of the
highest rank were tortured,
beheaded, murdered or imprisoned.
The White tower contains a
collection of arms and armour,
including even a suit of armour
made for an elephant. The Tower is
also the nation’s treasure house,
containing the Crown Jewels.
Ceremonial is still part of the daily
life within the Tower. Each night the
Chief Warder locks the gates at
9.30 p.m. and presents the keys to
the President Governer – a ritual
that has taken place for 700 years.
Yeoman warders still wear the
distinctive colourful uniform that
dates from Tudor times.
Tower Bridge
The most famous of London’s
bridges is the Tower Bridge.
Twin Gothic-style towers are
connected by a walkway 142
feet above the water level.
Tower Bridge is the only
Thames bridge which can be
raised. The road over the
bridge is built on two central
sections, they open two or
three times a week to let
ships through. Up the bridge
there are walkways with
good views of London.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster is a fine Gothic
building. It is founded in
1049. Westminster Abbey is
the crowning place of British
monarchs. Kings and
queens (except 2) have
been crowned here since
1050. The Abbey contains
the tombs and memorials of
many famous English
scientists. It has its poet’s
corner, where many writers
are buried.
Houses of Parliament
This Gothic-style building on the
banks of the river Thames is where
laws governing British life are
formulated, debated and passed. At
the opposite corner of the building
rises the Victoria Tower, the largest
and tallest square tower in the
world. The flag over it shows that
the Parliament is on work. The
monarch is not allowed into the
House of Commons. At the start of
each session the queen goes to the
House of Lords, sits on a throne and
sends her representative, Black
Rod, to knock on the door of the
Commons to ask 650 members if
they will go and listen to her speech.
In front of the monarch’s throne is
the Woolsack. This is the seat of the
Lord Chancellor when the House is
sitting.
Big Ben
On the best known
landmarks in the world is the
Clock Tower Big Ben. This
name is given to the bell in
the Clock Tower on which
the hours are struck. The
name commemorates Sir
Benjamin Hall who was
Commissioner of Works
when the bell was cast. The
bell weighs 13 ½ tons, the
four clock faces each have a
diameter of 22 ½ feet, the
hour hands are 9 feet and
the minute hands are 14 feet
long. The height of the Clock
Tower is 316 feet and a light
shines from above the clock
when the House is in
session at night.
Buckingham Palace
It is the best-known palace in
the world. The first floor balcony
is the scene of formal
appearances of the royal family
on important occasions. Below it
in the forecourt the colourful
ceremony of Changing the
Guards takes place daily. The
interior of the palace is never
opened to the public. The state
rooms are used to receive
visiting heads of state and for
ceremonies. At the gates of
Palace you can see London’s
Town Crier. He wears an early
19th century style costume,
carries a bell and owns a loud,
commanding voice. His duty, on
important national occasions, is
to proclaim news.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a popular place
for political demonstrations and
pigeons. The Square was laid out in
1840 to commemorate the great
naval victory of Britain in 1805 in
which Admiral Lord nelson took part
and was fatally wounded. In the
center of the square there is a
monument known as Nelson’s
Column with the statue of Nelson at
the top. Round the pedestal there
are four bronze carvings
representing Nelson’s famous naval
victories. At the base there are four
great lions. Every Christmas a fir
tree is set up in Trafalgar Square, a
gift from the people of Norway in
thanks for the hospitality shown by
the British nation to their Royal
Family during World War II.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
It is a masterpiece of Sir
Christopher Wren, England’s great
architect. The cathedral was built
between 1675 and 1710. St. Paul’s
has been the setting for solemn and
significant occasions in the nation’s
history. You can see the huge dome
with a golden ball and cross on the
top. There are two towers, the north
one contains 12 bells, the south –
the clock and Great Paul, the
largest bell in England. The dome is
the second largest in the world. St.
Paul’s contains monuments to the
nation’s heroes. The inside of the
Cathedral is very beautiful. You can
climb 263 steps and get into the
Whispering Gallery. It is called so
because if someone whispers close
to the wall on one side, a person on
the other side can hear what is said.
Then if you climb another 118 steps
you will be able to look all over
London. There are steps up to the
golden ball.
TOWER OF LONDON
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BIG BEN
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WESTMINSTER ABBY
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HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
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BUCKINGHAM PALACE
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