London

The following texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.

The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.

London

Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life;

for there is in London all that life can afford.

Ds Samuel Johnson, 1791

LONDON

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. The city of some 7 million inhabitants which covers about 620 square miles has a history that dates back to Roman times.London originated as the Roman settlement of Londinium. It grew around a bridge over the river Thames built by the Roman emperor Claudius.

When the Romans invaded Britain the most powerful Celt to stand up the Romans was a woman, Boadicea. She had become queen of her tribe when her husband had died. She was tall, with long red hair, and had a frightening appearance. In AD 61 she led her tribe against the Romans. Boadicea was a very good fighter. She nearly drove the Romans from Britain, and she destroyed London, the Roman capital, before she was defeated. When Boadicea saw that all hope was gone, she called her daughters to her. „My children“, she said sadly „we have not beaten the Romans in battle. But we shall not give in. There is still one escape.“ Then she took a cup and filled it with poison. When the Roman soldiers found them, Queen Boadicea and her daughters were dead. She had killed both herself and her children rather than be the slaves of the Romans. You can find a bronze statue of Queen Boadicea on her chariot on the left side of Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament.

London is the seat of the government, the Parliament and the Queen. It´s also Britain´s largest port, a national and international commercial and financial centre, and a major industrial area. It has two international airports, Heathrow and Gatwick. Heathrow has been an international airport since 1946. There are 27 bridges over the Thames and 8 tunnels under the river. The oldest bridge across the Thames, the original London Bridge the Romans built, is long gone. There have been several London Bridges since then, including the medieval one which was decorated with the heads of executed people. The present bridge was only built in 1971 and replaces one which you can now find in Arizona. Another famous London´s bridge is Tower Bridge. It is one of the world´s famous sights and one which every visitor to London must see. Built in 1894 it´s a museum and walkway. The Bridge is raised once or twice a day to allow ships to pass.

There are many places of interest (attractions, sights). We can see them by walking or by various means of transport. London´s famous red double-deckers go almost everywhere. The Underground is the oldest in the world, opened in 1890. Now it operates 11 lines and is 418 km long.

Central London consists of three main areas: the City, which is the business centre, the West End, which is the shopping and entertainment centre, and the City of Westminster, where the seats of government have always been.

The City of London, site of the original Roman City, is a tiny place, only about 2.5 sq km in area and with about 10,000 permant residents, and if you go there at the weekend you will find it a very quiet place indeed. But go there in the week and it is very different. For the City is one of the world´s leading financial centres, which houses the world´s greatest concentration of banks, the world´s biggest insurance market, and the world´s most advanced stock exchange, foriegn exchange market and commodities market. Perhaps the best-known of all is the Bank of England, which issues the money. It has its own museum open to the public. Others include Lloyds of London, the firm with whom all the ships in the world are insured, the Stock Exchange, where shares in companies are bought and sold and unbelievable sums of money change hands every day.

One thing you might have trouble finding there is a „typical Englishman“, with his black jacket and pinstriped trousers, bowler hat, umbrella and rolled-up copy of the Times.He is a thing of the past. Instead you will find a world of computer screens, portable telephones, and work so intense that many people are considered burnt-out by the time they are thirty.

You will not find buildings here as old as in, say, Prague, because most London was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666, the City´s second great tragedy in two years. It followed the

Great Plague of 1665 and destroyed 4/5 of the City. It began in a baker´s shop in Pudding Lane and continued for four days. It was not until 1986 that the Baker´s Company apologised! After the fire, the City was rebuilt. Many buildings were designed by a famous architect Christopher Wren. Among them the Monument to the Great Fire, a great column which you can climb up to get a fine view if the City. It is 202 feet (about 65m) high, the exact distance from its base to where the baker´s shop stood.

Perhaps his most famous building is St Paul´s Cathedral, whose dome is a real London landmark. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The cathedral is known for its Whispering Gallery. Standing on this gallery you can clearly hear what is whispered on the opposite side 107 feet far from you. In its crypt (the biggest in the world) Wren, lord Nelson and Wellington are buried. It was also a scene of the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The church became a symbol of London´s resistance to the Blitz during the Second World War, when it, unlike so many other buildings, survived repeated bombing.

The City of Westminster: Here are the Houses of Parliament, the Prime Minister´s residence at 10 Downing Street (since 1731), the Queen´s residence in Buckingham Palace, the Government offices in Whitehall and Westminster Abbey . Near Downing Street are the underground Cabinet War Rooms from which Winston Churchill governed during the WWII.

Trafalgar Square was named after Admiral Nelson´s victory over Napoleon at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson´s statue is situated on a 56 metres high column in the middle of the square. The square with its fountains and pigeons is a very popular place for various meetings and demonstrations. At Christmas a big tree stands here and on New Year´s Eve people gather here at midnight, sing and dance. Around the square are several large buildings including the National Gallery, which houses paintings by nearly all great European artists.

The Houses of Parliament are in neo-Gothic style and were built between 1840-1852 after the old building had burnt down in 1834. There is also a famous clock tower with Big Ben (it weighs 13 tons) and its characteristic bell-ringing. It is said that it was called after Sir Benjamin Hall, a very fat and tall MP.

No church in Breat Britain has been so closely connected with the nation´s history as Westminster Abbey . Coronations of kings and queens have been held here and most of them are buried within its walls. The history of Westminster Abbey started with the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066. Since 1308 they have used the Coronation Chair designed to hold the ancient Stone of Scone seized from the Scots in 1296. It was stolen by some Scots in 1950 but replaced the following year.It has also the graves of the monarchs, of poets (Poets´Corner), politicians and churchmen. There is also the tomb of the unknown soldier here.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty the Queen, whose personal standart flies when HM is in residence. Every day at 11.30 you can see here the Changing of the Guard (soldiers marching in red coats and „bearskins“).

West End , the entertainment and shopping centre. Here you can find the most famous London square - Picadilly Circus, with the statue of God Eros in the centre and a kigdom of music- Rock Circus. In the entrance hall each visitor receives his personal stereo headphones. All recordings come from compact discs for the highest quality sound and a special infra red transmission system enables you to enjoy the greatest hits of all the rock stars standing face-to-face with their wax copies.

The most famous shops are in Regent Street and Oxford Street. A little further out one can find the magnificent Harrods, which is one of the world´s biggest department stores. Its area is 54,000sq metres and it has 214 departments. The slogan of the store is „Everything for Everybody“.

Practically all of the West End is bordered by parks- St.James´s Park being the smallest but the oldest of them. A feature of St.James´s Park are birds, especially water-birds. They range from various ducks, gulls, swans and geese to the most exotic pelicans, which have been here since the 17th century. The largest park is Hyde Park, where many Londoners have their rest. It is well-known for its Speaker´s Corner, where anyone can speak about anything he wants (unless he stands on the ground)

HM Tower of London was founded in the 11th century. The White Tower was built as a royal palace and fortress for William the Conqueror in 1078 and the Tower of London grew up around it. Later it was a state prison. Many people, including kings and queens lost their heads here.. The Tower is now the home of the Crown Jewels protected by Yoeman Warders more commonly known as „Beefeaters“. Another famous sight are the ravens with clipped wings. There are eight birds altogether and in pairs they patrol the Tower.They have been doing this for over 900 years. The old legend says:“Only so long as they stay will the crown stand“. And as the crown is the symbol of the British monarchy, the ravens are kept there with upmost care.

InGreenwich you can visit the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. Here is a brass strip which marks the prime meridian.

Madam Tussaud´s Museum (wax figures of „VIPs“), similar London Dungeon- world famous museum of horror presents the history of execution, torture and death in spine-chilling detail, including „Jack the Ripper Experience“. The British Museum , one of the world´s greatest museums, shows collections of archeology and art from pre-history to 20th century.

The Thames Barrier is considered to be one of the wonders of the world.Built in 1975-1982 to protect London from flooding. It cost 500 million pounds and can „close“ London in 30 minutes. It´s made of concrete and steel.

The oldest monument in London is Cleopatra´s Needle on Viktoria Embankment. The obelisk was erected in Egypt in 1450 BC and was given to London by the Egyptian viceking in 1878. It is 13 m high and weighs 180 tons.

221b Baker Street is the address of the Sherlock Holmes Museum. (the great detective created by Sit Arthur Conan Doyle) Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street in about 1881-1904. People have been writing to Holmes for the last 100 years, but since 1990, when the museum was open, it ´s been possible to see where and how he was supposed to have lived.
A fascinating place for the visitor is the Docklands, which used to be a strongly working-class area, where true Cockneys came from. For almost two centuries, up till the 1960s, London was the Britain´s main port. But when the docks closed, the whole area went into decline. In the 1980s a corporation was set up to stop this and the whole area underwent massive redevelopment. Now the Docklands are full of the offices of national and international firms and housing for the wealthy. The

Dockland is linked with the centre by a modern light railway. Canary Wharf is now the home of the tallest building in the UK, a tower over 250 metres high.

Source : http://www.mssch.cz/sites/default/files/_uzivatele/juskova/london.doc

Web site link: http://www.mssch.cz/

Google key word : London file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly.

London

It used to be a Roman settlement/fortification called “Londonium“ at a place where it was possible to cross the River Thames
There was built a wall around the town (for defence) = The Old City Wall (after that is a street name : London Wall)
Nowadays London is actually composed of two towns – London and Westminster (which make the city centre), and also 28 boroughs
In 1665 there was The Great Plague and immediately a year after that (1666) there was The Great Fire of London. After The Fire the city was rebuilt and many of buildings were designed by Christopher Wren (Monument to the Great Fire – a great column, St. Paul Cathedral and many other churches…)
A “typical Englishman“ (a little bit old-fashioned, for men involved in banking and business) – black jacket, pinstriped trousers, bowler hat, umbrella and rolled-up copy of the Times
London is famous for its live theatre + “whodunnits“ (detective stories), opera, musicals, drama, comedies, etc.

Threadneedle Street (and surrounding area) :

Bank of England (the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street) – issues money (British pounds)
Other banks of many nations
Stock Exchange, Royal Exchange – there are shares in commercial companies bought and sold
Lloyds of London (in Leadenhall Street) – the most famous insurance company in the world

The Old Bailey houses – the centre of the country’s judical system

many lawyers, solicitors have their offices (called “chambers“) nearby

The press

Fleet Street – “the home“ of The Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph

Popular press – tabloids (The (Daily) Mirror, The Sun)
Quality press – broadsheets (The Times)

Shopping in London

Most of London’s departement stores are in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street
New Covent Garden – it used to be the biggest fruit and vegetable market, nowadays it’s a shopping centre with a lot of cafes, small shops, street entertaiment or theatres, …
Petticoat Lane – famous market in the East End which opens only on Sundays

London transport – runs passenger services by Underground trains, by buses and by Green Line coaches + British Rail

The East End

- it used to be synonymous with neglect, poverty and crime and it was said to be the opposite to the rich West End of London

- the port of London, the centre of industry, famous markets (Petticoat Lane market takes place every Sunday morning)

- Docklands, Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs – originally built for the trade in oranges, lemons and bananas from the Canary Islands. Nowadays there is a modern commercial centre with many office blocks, hotels, shops, restaurants, gardens and fountains and also there is an arena for pop concerts and sports

- the cockney accent and dialect

changing certain vowel sounds (in “late“ becomes more like that in “light“)
they don’t use the usual “t“ sound of standard English but stop the air in their throat (“butter“ is like “bu’er“)

“rhyming slang“ – words are replaced by other words or phrases which rhyme

“loaf of bread“ = head, “butcher’s hook“ = look, “Barnet Fair“ = hair, “bees ang honey“ = money, “daisy roots“ = boots, “plates of meat“ = feet, “north and south“ = mouth, “dog and bone“ = telephone, …

Historic buildings in the City

The Tower of London

a formidable fortress which used to be a prison
beheading – usual method of execution in those days(during the reign of Henry VIII. his two wives were beheaded – Catherine Howard, Anne Boleyn)

- using an axe and block

“The ceremony of the keys“ – every night, just before ten o’clock there is a formal lock up of the Tower

Tower Bridge

until 1749 there was only one bridge across the River Thames – the Old London Bridge (in fact there have been several London Bridges by the time)
in 1894 there was built a Bascule Bridge which you can now find in Arizona
the present bridge was built in 1971
its lower arch is made of two bascules to allow ships to pass into the Pool of London

The Houses of Parliament + Big Ben

in the gothic style but built in the 19th century (neogothic building)
standing in the same place as the Old Palace of Westminster from 1097 which was seriously damaged by fire in 1834 (only the Westminster Hall is still there today)
British Parliament consists of the House of Lords (Lords Spiritual – 24 bishops and the Archbishops of Cantebury and York, Lords Temporal – peers and peerses) and the House of Commons – elected
The Queen still opens the new session of Parliament each autumn by speech
Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament in 1605

The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is Big Ben

the clock and bell
designed by architect Sir Charles Barry
is called by Sir Benjamin Hall, a minister in Parliament (he was a very tall and heavily-built man and so people called him “Big Ben“)

Westminster Abbey

There was founded a Benedictine Abbey in 750 =West monastery
British monarchs have been crowned (since 1066) and buried (since 13th century) there and it was used for numerous other Royal occasions
There is the Confessor’s Shrine, the tombs of Kings and Queens, countless memorials to famous and great people, Statesmen’s Aisle, Poet’s Corner, Royal Chapels (including the coronation chair)

St Paul’s Cathedral

It was built during Norman times and damaged in the Great Fire in 1666
The new cathedral was designed by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren
In the crypt there are tombs of some of Britain’s great heroes
It’s the seat of the Bishop of London
“Whispering gallery“ – there is heard even a whispering
There was the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and also the funeral service of Sir Winston Churchill

Whitehall

This street runs directly from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square
There are many government offices and also the Horse Guards

- The changing of the Guard

Downing Street is a small side street off Whitehall

- there lives the Prime Minister at number 10, the Chancellor of the Exchequer at number 11 and there are other important ministries nearby

Trafalgar Square

In the middle there is the Nelson’s Column to commemorate the Great British naval victory over Napoleon in Trafalgar Bay ( the coast of Spain) in 1805
Nowadays the square makes a good place for people to meet – (protest) meetings, demonstration,… and lots of pigeons!
There is also The National Gallery of Art, collection of many old masters
Each Christmas there is a pine-tree, a gift from the people of Norway in thanks of the hospitality, shown to their royal family during the World War II.

Horatio Nelson

he was an admiral since his twenties
he was in command of the fleet in the Mediterranean
he was crippled (he lost his right eye and his right arm)
he had a child with Lady Hamilton
he was killed in the Battle in Trafalgar

Buckingham Palace

There has been the official London residence of the sovereigns
The first who lived there was the Queen Victoria – her statue stands in front of the palace
It’s a birthplace of two kings (William IV. and Edward VII.) and of Prince of Wales
Today it’s home of the Queen Elizabeth II.
Guarded by sentries of the Brigade of Guards

the changing of the guards takes place at 11,20 a.m.
Guards wear black helmets (bearskins) and red coat (scarlet lunics)

Piccadilly Circus

It’s a very famous square in the heart of London
It is the centre of night life in London (alcohol, sex, drugs,…)
In the middle there is a statue of Eros [íros] – the God of Love
Many buildings around are decorated with bright neon [níon] signs, such as – Forster’s, Sanyo, Panasonic, Mc Donald’s, Coca – cola, etc.
Nearby is Soho, the foreign quarter – different cultures, food, …

Hyde Park

Originally it used to be a hunting forest
It’s the largest and the best-known park in London
It’s a large grassy area with tall trees, benches, and even a lake – Serpentine
It gives a chance for a rest and walks, sitting on benches, deck-chairs, sunbathing, swimming, sailing, having picnics, …
It’s Queen’s property, she inherited it from Henry VIII.
Since 1872 there was the legal right for meetings – duellists
Speaker’s corner – everyone can speak about everything except the Queen (politics, economics, religion, international relations, current problems,…)

There are more parks in London, for example St James’s Park or the Regent’s park, where is the London Zoo and also in suburbs – Richmond and Greenwich

Kensington and Knightsbridge

It’s an exclusive part of London
Many foreign ambassies, very expensive luxury hotels are there

Harrods – the symbol of high-class living

it’s a very famous departement store with everything (even exotic animals)
Albert Hall – there is a summer festival of popular classical music concerts called “The Proms“
Museums – Victoria and Albert M., Natural History M., Science M. (allways crowded)

Millennium Dome

This Dome was built to celebrate the new millennium as a historic event

London Eye (Millenium Wheel)

It’s an attraction in London, the world’s largest Ferris Wheel
It’s a feat of modern engineering, truly international project – supplied from Holland, Italy and Czech Republic (Skoda technology powers the Eye’s turbine)
The construction began in 1998 and it’s working since 1999
The property of British Airways

Madame Tussaud’s

There are wax figures of famous people which are extremely lifelike
JFK, Diana, The Beatles, Pavarotti, Sean Connery, …

http://www.talkingcities.co.uk/london_pages/london_main.htm

Vypracovala pro Vás

Kristí =)

Source : http://oktava.mysteria.cz/storage/london+.doc

Web site link: http://oktava.mysteria.cz/

Google key word : London file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

London

GRADUATION EXAM IN ENGLISH

L O N D O N

► General characterization

● the capital of both England and the United Kingdom / Great Britain; situated in the south-

-east of England; the seat of the Monarch / Sovereign / Queen, the Parliament, the Government and the Supreme Court; one of the world´s leading commercial and cultural centres; founded as a Roman settlement called Londonium in around 43 A.D. on the River Thames (the biggest British river Þ the biggest port in Britain);

● its architecture mostly influenced by two outstanding architects : Sir Christopher Wren (17th / 18th centuries) and John Nash (18th / 19th centuries);

● the inner city has a population of about 6.7 million (13 % of British population; it has declined from 8 mill. because of migration to outer suburbs) x about 12 mill. including its suburbs = as the whole conurbation;

► Places of general interest

● the centre / Central London ® historically consists of 3 cities : the City of London, the City of Westminster, and the City of Southwark Þ several distinctive parts can still be found

there : the City, the East End, the West End, Westminster, Kensigton and Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Chelsea, or Mayfair ; the most significant of them are the City of London and the City of Westminster (once being two separated self-governing enclaves but now there are no obvious boundaries between them); there are 27 bridges over the Thames and 8 tunnels under the river in London;

a) the City of London

® the oldest part of the town full of beautiful landmarks / sights, not far from the River Thames; east of the City ® the East End ( a poorer part – a residential area for working people and immigrant groups + extensive docks (called Docklands) ® now being changed into the “Metropolitan Water City” with offices, shopping and sports facilities, and even London City Airport) x west of the City ® the West End (a richer part – famous for its exclusive shops, theatres, cinemas, and beautiful residential areas for wealthier people); in the City ® a lot of sights / places of historical interest; the best-known of them include :

* the Tower of London – built by William the Conqueror in the 11th c.; formerly a royal palace, then a prison for well-known noble personages (usually as political prisoners, many of which put to death here, e.g. Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard (the two beheaded wives of King Henry VIII), Walter Raleigh, Guy Fawkes, Rudolf Hess – Hitler´s deputy (zástupce); now it is a museum; famous for its Bloody Tower, Traitors´ Gate, the ravens (krkavci), Crown Jewels, the Armouries, the Ceremony of the Keys (= everyday ceremonial locking of the main gates by the Chief Warder at night), the Yeoman Warders in their spectacular historical uniforms (called incorrectly Beefeaters) (členové královské tělesné stráže + strážci Toweru);

* Tower Bridge – once even a royal seat; the most famous and distinctive bridge in London, now a museum of its history; it can open / “break” in the middle to allow tall ships through;

* St Paul´s Cathedral – destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666 (this fire destroyed nearly all (75 %) of then wooden houses and buildings in the City, but nobody died in the fire; it definitively got rid London of the plague epidemic which killed about 77,000 Londoners in 1665); rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren (being considered his greatest work); the setting for famous marriages (e.g. of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981); with well-known Whispering Gallery;

* the Monument – a 60-m-high column with the lookout terrace (vyhlídková terasa) for tourists; near Pudding Lane near London Bridge; commemorating the place where the Great Fire of London started (in a bakery in Pudding Lane);

* Mansion House – the Lord Mayor ´s home (domov londýnského starosty);

® the City of London : an international financial centre Þ the greatest concentration of banks in the world, e. g. the famous Bank of England, the Lloyds ( an internationally famous insurance institution, the London Stock Exchange (Londýnská Burza); the seat of the new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

b) the City of Westminster

® the centre of political and administrative life of Britain; situated near the West End, just to the south; its best-known landmarks / sights include :

* the Houses of Parliament – the seat of British Parliament since 1547 (when King Henry VIII died) Þ Great Britain is the oldest democracy in the world today; situated on the left bank of the River Thames; founded in the 11th century as the Palace of Westminster, in the 19th century nearly all destroyed by fire (only Westminster Hall has remained untill now), then rebuilt in the Gothic style; its parts : the House of Commons (the body (těleso) presided over by the Speaker), the House of Lords (® the Visitors´ Gallery open for the public when Parliament is in session (zasedá); the throne of the Sovereign; the seat of the Lord Chancellor (Lord Kancléř) presiding over the body); the 97-metre-high “clock“ tower with its famous huge clock with 4 faces (each 7 m in diametre) and Big Ben (the bell called after Sir Benjamin Hall, a very tall and stout minister of the 19th century) with its characteristic bell-ringing;

* Westminster Abbey – originated in the 11th century (its founder : Edward I the Confessor); the Coronation Chair Þ many English kings and queens have been crowned here since William the Conqueror as well as buried here (Edward the Confessor; Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots; etc.) ® the Poet´s Corner with tombstones (náhrobky) and monuments of famous British writers, scholars (učenci), dramatists and poets (John Milton, Walter Scott, Lord Byron, William Wordsworth, William Shakespeare) x but only a few of them are really buried here (Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Browning); many state occasions and royal weddings take place here as well;

* Buckingham Palace – the London home and seat of the British Sovereign (now the

Queen ) since Queen Victoria; ® the Royal Standard (if it is blown from the flagstaff Þ the Queen is in the residence); some parts open for the public (the Queen´s Picture Gallery); outside the palace ® Horse Guard Parade (a place where the Changing of the Guard, a popular event for tourists, takes place regularly) and Queen Victoria Monument;

* the Mall – a wide red coloured exclusive boulevard with best-known gentlemen´s clubs and expensive shops, extending (táhnout se) from Buckingham Palace through Admirality Arch to Trafalgar Square;

* Whitehall – a street lined with Government offices including the Headquarters of the Royal Horse Guards ® the famous spectacular (okázalý) mounted (jízdní) ceremony of the Changing of the Guard takes place here as well;

* No. 10, Downing Street – has been the home of the Prime Minister since the 19th century;

* Trafalgar Square – the largest and most popular square in London (meetings,

demonstrations); with the National Gallery at its upper edge; in the centre : Nelson´s Column (50 ms high, with Admiral Nelson´s statue at the top; surrounded by the statues of lions and two fountains) ® named after / commemorates the victorious naval Battle of Trafalgar in 1905 (Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson defeated the French and Spanish fleet led by Napoleon);

► Other places of interest in London

* St Martin - in - the - Fields Church – in Trafalgar Square ® frequent musical performances; catacombs as a shelter for homeless people;

* St Mary - Le - Bow Church – with a 900-year-old crypt; it is said that the true Cockney

(= the typical Londoner with distinctive manners, behaviour, and “cockney” English) must be born within the sound of its famous Bow Bells;

* Dickens House – where the world famous novelist lived and worked on some of his novels for two years;

* New Scotland Yard – the Headquarters (ústředí, ředitelství) of the Metropolitan Police (formerly Scottish kings stayed in this palace when visiting London);

* the Old Royal Observatory as part of the National Maritime Museum – in nice Greenwich Park, overlooking (čnící nad) the River Thames; with the Prime / Greenwich Meridian (nultý poledník) (marked on the pavement with a brass strip (mosazný pruh); here standing astride it (obkročmo nad ním) you can stand with one foot in the Eastern and one in the Western Hemisphere); Greenwich Mean Time (průměrný = světový čas) is taken here;

* the Post Office Tower – the tallest building in Great Britain (190 ms high; telephone and TV services; with the revolving (otáčivý) restaurant at the top);

► Shopping and entertainment in London

● the best-known shopping streets or areas ® in the West End : Oxford Street (fashionable clothes and shoe shops, large department stores ® Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis), Regent Street (famous shops : Liberty´s, Hamley´s – one of the world´s best-known toy shops), Bond Street (art galleries, jewellery shops, Sotheby ´s – the famous auction house), Piccadilly Circus (the busiest and noisiest place in London, with many colourful advertisements, night clubs, cinemas, theatres , restaurants, and a Foutain with a statue of Eros, the Greek God of love, in the centre), Piccadilly ( ® Lillywhites – a shop with sportswear, Simpson´s – a shop with ladieswear and menswear), the quarter of Knightsbridge (with London´s most famous department store Harrods where even the Queen goes shopping), Petticoat Lane (with one of London´s most famous street market), Covent Garden (an elegant covered shopping area, once being the famous open-air fruit and vegetable market), Soho (a spectacular shopping and entertainment area in the West End with many Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants and famous theatres, cafes, and bars);

● there are about 100 theatres in London; the best-known include : the Royal National Theatre, the Barbican Centre (an extensive arts centre with the London home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which also plays in Stratford-upon-Avon; there you can also see many concerts, plays, exhibitions, and films), the Globe Theatre (where William Shakespeare once acted, now it has been being recostructed), the Royal Opera House (the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet ansambles perform there);

● the principal London´s concert halls include : the Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Albert Hall (named after Queen Victoria´s husband; ® the largest music festival in the world is held here in summer with the famous Promenade Concerts), the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wembley Arena (where famous pop and rock concerts are held for large numbers of fans),etc.;

● the best-known London´s museums and galleries include : the British Museum (archeological and ethnographical collections, prints, drawings, medals) ® its part is the British Library (the largest in the world ® 11 mill. volumes of printed books and precious (vzácný) authors´ original manuscripts), the Natural History Museum (fossils – e.g. of many dinosaurs – and examples / specimens / exhibits of living plants and animals, minerals and gems (drahokamy), rocks and meteorites), the Science Museum (exibits (exponáty) outlining (načrtávající) the history and development of science and industry), the Sherlock Holmes Museum (at 221b Baker Street), Madam Tussaud´s (a museum of wax portraits (voskové figuríny) of famous and infamous world figures (postavy), e. g. Henry VIII and his wives, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth II with the Royal Family, Churchill, Gandhi, Jack the Ripper, Margaret Thatcher, , Mikhail Gorbatchev, the Beatles, Michal Jackson, and even Vaclav Havel and Martina Navratilova, etc.), the Geological Museum, the London Dungeon (Londýnská šatlava) – in the City, the world´s first medieval horror museum); the National Gallery (in Trafalgar Square), the Tate Gallery;

● London is the centre of the media industry in Britain : in Fleet Street ® most national newspapers used to be concentrated; now they have transferred their editorial and printing facilities (redakční a tikařská zařízení) to Docklands; they include both tabloids (bulvární noviny) and quality papers (seriózní noviny) ® the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Times, etc.; Bush House in the Strand ® the home of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) World Service (světová tisková kancelář);

● London is famous / renowned with its beautiful parks and gardens (all major parks were once royal gardens); the best-known include : St James´s Park (the oldest one open for the public, near Buckingham Palace, with a lake with many water-birds and lots of daffodils in spring ), Green Park, Regent´s Park (with London Zoo), Hyde Park (the largest one, with its Serpentine Lake to swim or row, Rotten Row to go horse-riding, and famous Speakers´ Corner where anyone can stand up and have a speech to the audience) ® near it there is well-known Marble Arch by John Nash; Kensington Gardens, Kew Gardens (with its part ® the Royal Botanical Gardens with famous plant collections and the Princess of Wales Conservatory (skleník) with plants in natural settings in 10 different environments);

► London transport

® public transport ® highly developed together with heavy private car and lorry traffic; London ® the most significant / important highway and railway junction in the British Isles;

● London Underground ® familiarly called the “Tube” – the oldest in the world (opened in 1863 !), 10 lines, the quickest and easiest way to get round (dopravovat se, jezdit) central London;

● taxis ® very popular; of typical unified black colour;

● red double-decker buses ® the famous symbols of London; now mostly with black drivers and for the poorer minority groups; richer people mostly prefer cars or taxis;

● single deck Red Arrow buses ® together with the double-decker buses for shorter distances in London;

● Green Line buses ® operate within 25 miles of London;

● coaches ® long distance buses; depart from Victoria Coach Station;

● British Rail ® the name of the British railway system; there are 15 central railway stations in London; the main ones include : Victoria, Paddington, Euston, Waterloo, and King´s Cross Station; they enable travelling outside London;

● the River Thames ® has been used continously as a highway (dopravní komunikace) /

/ waterway (vodní cesta) since prehistoric times Þ the Port of London – one of the best ports in the world accessible even for large cargo ships; riverbuses ® the most modern transport system in London , they run on the Thames;

● London airports ® there are 5 in London area; the largest are Heathrow (the world´s busiest airport for passengers and air freight), Gatwick (especially chartered flights (smluvní, čártrové lety)), and Stansted.

London once used to be the centre of the British Empire – the most powerful colonial country of the past / 17th – 19th centuries, and still remains one of the most important financial, commercial, and especially cultural centres in Europe, boasting many beautiful valuable historical landmarks and sights documenting its very long history.

LONDON

- the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom

- the seat of central government, situated on the river Thames in south-east England

- the City + 32 boroughs

Population: about 7 mill.

History:

800 B.C. – the Celts
55 B.C. – occupied by Romans
1665 – plague epidemic – the Black Death
1666 – the Great Fire of London
World War II – German bombing

Shopping and Entertainment:

Oxford St., Regent St., Bond St., Piccadilly, Covent Garden
the Royal National Theatre, the Globe Theatre, the Royal Opera House, the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the British Museum, the Natural History Museum , the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, Madame Tussaud´s, London Dungeon

Parks and gardens: Hyde Park, Regent´s Park, St. James´s Park, Green Park, Kensington

Gardens, Kew Gardens

Transport: Heathrow, Gatwick and Standsted airports, underground, taxis, London buses

(single-deckers, red double-deckers), railway stations (Victoria, Paddington,

Euston, Waterloo,...), ships (ports)

The City of London:

A) The City of London: the oldest part of the town, banking + commercial centre (Bank of

England, the Stock Exchange), the Lord Mayor

the Tower of London – the White Tower – a museum (an arsenal of weapons, the Crown Jewels – the Jewel House, the prison) – Beefeaters; Tower Bridge (1894); St. Paul´s Cathedral – the Whispering Gallery

B) East End: Docklands – the docks

C) West End (The City of Westminster): shops, museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas; the

centre of political and administrative life of GB

the Houses of Parliament – Westminster Hall – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey (Poet´s Corner), Whitehall (Horse Guards Building – Budova Jízdní stráže; the Changing of the Guard), Downing Street (No. 10, the home of the Prime Minister), Buckingham Palace (the home of the kings and queens) (the Changing of the Guard) – the Queen Victoria Monument – the Mall, Trafalgar Square – Nelson´s Column (50 m) – the National Gallery – the National Portrait Gallery, Piccadilly Circus – at the top of the Fountain stands Eros (the Greek God of love)

Source : http://files.janym.webnode.cz/200000827-b2c28b3bc7/11%20London.doc

Web site link: http://files.janym.webnode.cz

Google key word : London file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is the 9th largest city in the world - it´s population is about 10 million. London is situated on the river Thames in south-east England. The Romans came to London in 43 A. D. They built a small town on the Thames, its name was Londinium. In 1066 William the Conqueror came to England. He came from Normandy after the battle of Hastings. He became the King of England. On Sunday 2nd September 1666, there was a great fire, which destroyed almost all the city.

There are many places of interest. We can see them by walking or going by various means of transport. London´s famous red double-deckers go almost everywhere. To be faster, we can use the underground. It´s the oldest underground in the world. There are also 3 airports in London (the most important are Heathrow and Gatwick).

How I have said, in London we can find a lot of places of interest. We can start our sightseeing tour in centre on Piccadilly Circus.

When we walk from Piccadilly Circus threw Regent street and Oxford Street which are the most famous shopping centres, we come to Hyde park, which is the largest green park in London..

From Hyde park, we can go to Buckingham Palace. It is the Queen’s residence in London. Here is one of the biggest London’s parades - Changing the Guard.

Near the Buckingham Palace there is the Victoria Station. Victoria station is railway station, where the trains from France threw the Channel tunnel come. When we go threw Victoria street, we come to Westminster Abbey. It was founded in the 11th century. Britain´s Kings and Queens have been crowned here and many of them are buried here.. It is an excellent example of gothic architecture.

Then we can visit The Houses of Parliament. They are in gothic style but they were built only in 1840 after the old building had burnt down. The only part which escaped the fire was Westminster Hall. There is also a famous clock-tower with Big Ben and its characteristic bell-ringing. The best photo you can take from the Westminster Bridge.

Then we can go along Whitehall, in which takes place Horse Guards Parade, come we to the Downing Street 10, which is the official home of British Prime Ministers since 1731. At the end of Whitehall is Trafalgar Square. It was named after Admiral Nelson’s victory over Napoleon. Here is a Nelson’s statue. This place is very popular place for demonstrations and meetings. At Christmas time a big Christmas tree stands here.

One part of London is called The City. It is the oldest part of London around St. Paul´s. There are many banks e. g. the Bank of England. St. Paul´s Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. This great renaissance dome is the work of the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren and it was built in the 17th century after the great fire. The Cathedral is known for its Whispering Gallery.

The next interesting place is The Tower of London. It was built in the 11th century. It served as royal palace first, then prison and fortress. It is a museum now. The Crown Jewels are kept here.

Tower Bridge is one of the most famous symbols of London. It was built only in the last century. It can open in the middle and let large ships go through.

The British Museum is the largest museum in the world. There is a collection of Egyptian mummies and antiquities from ancient Greece. The admission is free.

The Post Office Tower is the tallest building in Great Britain. It is 190 m high.

With 40 theatres and music halls London is the centre of cultural life. The most important are: The National Theatre, The Royal Festival hall and The Royal Albert Hall.

In Kew Gardens we can find the largest collection of living plants in the world.

Greenwich is the seat of the National Maritime Museum.

Source : http://www.spanker.cz/maturita/anglictina/otazky/London.doc

Web site link: http://www.spanker.cz/maturita

Google key word : London file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

London

LONDON, THE CAPITAL OF GREAT BRITAIN

London is tile capital of the United Kingdom_ It is situated on the river Thames in south-east England. Its population with suburbs was 12 million in 1981, its size is about 1,600 sq km.

London is one of the largest ports and it has the oldest underground in the world. Of the three London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead) Heathrow is the largest in Europe. Red double-deckers attract the attention of foreigners.

Before Christ there was a Celtic settlement called Llyndin on the left rank of the Thames. After the Roman occupation of England the most important port Londinium originated here. During the rule of Germanic tribes Lundenevic (= London) became the capital of the kingdom Essex and since 1066 it has been the capital of the English Kingdom. After the great fire in 1666 London developed into a city of world-wide fame. In the 19th century it was the largest city of the world, the largest port and the most important financial centre. During World War R it was heavily damaged by the German bombing.

Buckingham Palace is the residence of the British Queen. (It is guarded by the beefeaters.) The Houses of Parliament (built up in neogothic style) are the residence of MPs. Whitehall is the street where the government offices are located. Downing Street 10 is the official home of British Prime Ministers since 1731.

The gothic Westminster Cathedral (and the baroque St. Paul's Cathedral built by Christopher Wren) are the most famous churches in London.

The Tower Bridge is one of the most famous symbols of London. It can open in the middle and let large ships go through. Other well-known bridges are Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. The clock tower with the massive bell called Big Ben is a part of the Parliament's architecture. The Post Office Tower is the highest building in Great Britain (nearly 190 m). The Tower was built in the 11th century. It served as a royal palace first, then prison and fortress. It is a museum now. The Crown Jewels guarded by the beefeaters in their traditional Tudor uniforms are kept here.

The British Museum is the largest museum in the world. Also a good collection of drawings made by the Czech artist Václav Hollar (who died in London in 1677) is kept here. The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square houses paintings by nearly all great European artists of the past and a large collection of British paintings and sculptures. Tate Gallery houses valuable collections too. Madame Tussaud's waxwork museum in Marelybone Road is very attractive for people of all kinds.

With its dozens of theatres and music halls London is the centre of Britain's theatre and musical life. Among theatres the most important are the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic. In the Royal Albert Hall Antonín Dvořák conducted the orchestra playing his compositions (Stabat Mater).

Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street and Oxford Street are the most famous shopping centres in London. Piccadilly Circus is a crossing dosing the street Piccadilly. The name Piccadilly is also mentioned in the popular marching song Tipperary.

There are many parks in London, e.g. St. James's Park, Green Park, Regent's Park (with the London Zoo and an open-air theatre). The largest of them is Hyde Park It is also known for its Speaker's Corner where anybody can have a speech.

The City is the oldest part of London around St. Paul's. The City was founded by the Romans in 43 AD. There are many banks (the most important is the Bank of England) and offices here (e.g. Mansion House - the Lord Mayor's home).

In Baker Street detectives Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived in the imagination of their author Conan Doyle.

England is the home of football and lawn-tennis. In Wimbledon (i.e. a part of Greater London) the greatest tennis championship in the world is held every year since 1877. As for Czechoslovak players, Jaroslav Drobný won the first prize in 1954 and Jan Kodeš in 1973. Martina Navrátilová won many times. In Greater London also the biggest sporting stadium Wembley is situated. One can watch international football matches here. In London are world-famous football teams, e.g. Arsenal and Chelsea.

You can make day trips to various places that are within easy reach of London. the old towns as Oxford and Cambridge, Windsor Castle near the Thames with the famous Eton Public School nearby, and well-known seaside resorts as Brighton and Southend. Kew Gardens are the Royal Botanical Gardens with the largest collection of living plants in the world. Greenwich is the seat of the National Maritime Museum where the Royal Observatory is situated - here is a brass strip which marks the prime meridian.

2. LONDON

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is the 9th largest city in the world - its population is about 10 million(with suburbs).London is situated on the river Thames in south-east England. It was founded as a Roman settlement. The great fire in 1666 destroyed almost all the city.

There are many places of interest. We can see them by walking or by various means of transport. London's famous red double-deckers go almost everywhere. For fast transport we can go by the Underground. It is the oldest underground in the world. Now

it operates 11 lines and is 418 km long (in Britain only 3 cities have the underground: London, Glasgow and Newcastle). There are also 3 airports in London. The most important are Heathrow and Gatwick.

The Houses of Parliament were built in gothic style but are only about one hundred years old. There is also a famous clock-tower with Big Ben and its characteristic bell-ringing. (It is said that it got its name after one rather fat and round MP called Benjamin).

Whitehall is the street where the government offices are. Horse Guards Parade takes place here.

Downing Street 10 is the official home of British Prime Ministers since 1731.

Westminster Abbey was founded in the 11th century. Britain's Kings and Queens are crowned here. England's greatest poets, artists, statesmen and other famous people are buried here in the Poet's Corner (e.g. Chaucer, Newton, Wordsworth, Handel, etc.). The Abbey is an excellent example of gothic architecture. Since 1066 the Abbey is the place where many state occasions and royal weddings take place (including that of the present Duke and Duchess of York - Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986).

St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It stands in the City. This great renaissance dome is the work of the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren and it was built in the 17th century. The Cathedral is known for its Whispering Gallery. Standing on this Gallery you can clearly hear what is whispered on the opposite side 107 feet far from you. During the World War II it was badly damaged by bombs. In 1981 Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and Lady Diana were married here.

The City is the oldest part of London around St. Paul. The City was founded by Romans in 43 AD. There are many banks (the most important is the Bank of England) and offices here (e.g. Mansion House - the Lord Mayor's home).

The Tower was built in the 11th century. It served as royal palace first, then prison and fortress. It is a museum now. The Crown Jewels guarded by the Beefeaters in their traditional Tudor uniforms are kept here.

Tower Bridge is one of the most famous symbols of London. It was built only in the last century. It can open in the middle and let large ships go through.

Trafalgar Square was named after Admiral Nelson's victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson's statue is situated on a high column. The square with its fountains is a very popular place for various meetings and demonstrations. At Christmas time a big Christmas tree stands here and on New Year's Eve people gather here at midnight, sing and dance.

The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square. It houses paintings by nearly all the great European artists of the past and a large collection of British paintings and sculptures.

The British Museum is the largest museum in the world. It houses the biggest collection of all kinds of animals and minerals and rocks. There is a collection of fine and applied arts of all countries, periods and styles, e.g. antiquities from ancient Greece, Rome and the Orient, Egyptian mummies, Middle Ages manuscripts and also a good collection of drawings by the Czech artist Václav Hollar who had lived in England for a long time. He died in London in 1677.The British Museum's library is the largest in the world.

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's residence in London since the Queen Victoria's reign. One of the biggest London's parades is Changing the Guard here.

The most famous shopping centres in London are in Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street and Oxford Street. The other well-known streets are Carnaby Street, Charing Cross Road and Pall Mall.

There are many parks in London, e.g. St. James's Park, Green Park, Regent's Park. The largest of them is Hyde Park. It is also known for its Speaker's Corner where anybody can have a speech.

The Post Office Tower is the tallest building in Great Britain. It is adapted for telephone and TV services. It is nearly. 190 m high.

With its 40 theatres and music halls London is the centre of Britain's theatre life. The most important are The National Theatre (which moved in 1975 to new buildings on the South Bank), the Royal Shakespeare Company (which usually plays in Stratford, but also here in the Barbican centre). The Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall are the main concert halls.

There is much to see in London and still is true, what an English writer Samuel Johnson said two hundred years ago: "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." Anyway you can make day trips to various places such as Cambridge, Oxford, Canterbury, Salisbury, Brighton.

Windsor Castle is the residence of nearly all the British sovereigns outside London.

Kew Gardens are the Royal Botanical Gardens with the largest collection of living plants in the world.

Greenwich is the seat of the National Maritime Museum where the Royal Observatory is - here is a brass strip which marks the prime meridian.

Source : http://www.ag-life.ic.cz/texty/Cities/London.doc

Web site link: http://www.ag-life.ic.cz

Google key word : London file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

London

If you want to quickly find the pages about a particular topic as London use the following search engine:

London

London

London

London

The East End

London

GRADUATION EXAM IN ENGLISH

L O N D O N

LONDON

London

London

London

London

London

Please visit our home page

Larapedia.com Terms of service and privacy page

London