Топик: Темы по английскому
The best-known streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices. Downing Street, the London residence of Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets. Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest paid doctors live, and some others.
Trafalgar Square is named so in commemoration of Nelson's great victory. In the middle stands the famous Nelson Column with the statue of Nelson 170 feet high so as to allow him a view of the sea. The column stands in the geographical centre of the city. It is one of the best open air platforms for public meetings and demonstrations.
One of the "musts" for the sightseer are the Houses of Parliament, facing the Thames, on one side, and Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey, on the other. The House of Commons sits to the side of the Clock Tower (Big Ben), the House of Lords - to the Victoria Tower side.
Westminster Abbey is the crowning and burial place of British monarchs. It has its world famed Poet's Corner with memorials to Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, the Bronte's sisters. Tennyson. Longfellow, Wordsworth, Burns, Dickens, Thackeray, Hardy, Kipling and other leading writers. Only a few however, are actually buried there.
Here too is that touching symbol of a nation's grief. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
The name "West End" came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum, and the best art galleries.
It is in the West End where the University of London is centred with Bloomsbury as London's student quarter.
The Port of London is to the east of the City. Here. today are kilometres and kilometres of docks, and the great industrial areas that depend upon shipping. This is the East End of London, unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country's commerce.
In recent times London has grown so large. that the Government has decided that it must spread no farther. It is now surrounded by a "green belt" - a belt of agricultural and wooded land on which new buildings may be put up only with the permission of the planning authorities.
SOME FACTS ABOUT LONDON
London has been home of many famous Englishmen. Some were born there. Some lived there all their lives. Others lived in London only for a short time but all gave something to this great city
One of the first names of importance is that of Geoffrey Chaucer, the poet. He lived most of his life in London. He knew the courts of King Richard II d King Henry IV. His most famous work, 'The Canterbury Tales", opens at the Tabard Inn, in Southwark. Chaucer held official posts in London and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
William Shakespeare also lived in London. He lived there for more than twenty years. He acted at the Globe Theatre and wrote his plays in London. But London's famous men are not only writers. Sir Christopher Wren, the architect, spent most of his life in London. He designed many beautiful churches, including St. Paul's Cathedral. He also designed palaces and fine houses.
Music is represented by a very interesting figure. This is George Frederick Handel. He came to London from Hanover in 1710. He lived for a time at Burlington House, Piccadilly, now the Royal Academy. After some success and some failure he at last became famous. This happened when he composed "The Messiah". "Judas Maccabeus". and 'The Music for the Royal Fireworks". Like Chaucer and many other great artists. Handel is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Another famous London figure is one of England's greatest seamen. Admiral Lord Nelson. He has a very special memorial in Trafalgar Square. The monument consists of a very tall column. On top of it stands a figure of Nelson. It is called the Nelson Column. Equally famous is the general who led the army at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. This was the Duke of Wellington. His house stands at Hyde Park Comer. It is sometimes known as Number One, London. Like Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Houses of Parliament
From the center of Westminster Bridge one can have a splendid view of the H. of P. The structure is a remarkable example of Gothic architecture. Royal Palaces and houses were built along the banks of the Thames in medie’val days, because the water was a busy way into and out of London. The H.P. called officially the Palace of Westmister were a palace for queens and kings. The palace was used both as a royal residence and also as a parliament house until the 16th century. In 1834 the H.P. were destroyed by the fire. Sir Charles Barry was asked to plan the building and August Pugin was commissioned to make it look gothic. The result is the Palace of Westminster. The odd combination of these two men produced a triumph. The H.P. is the biggest Gothic palace in the world, and by far the most impressive. During the Second World War a bomb destroyed the House of Commons – the principal chamber in the whole complex It was decided to rebuild it exactly the same size. The H.P. contain the universal symbol of L., Big Ben. B.B. is actually the name of the biggest bell inside the Clock Tower which forms part of the H.P.
The Palace of Westminster has two miles of corridors and more than 1000 rooms. When Parliament is sitting a flag flies from the Victoria Tower. The House of Lords looks more splendid with its beautiful red benches than the House of Commons. There is the throne for the Queen and the woolsack for the Lord Chancellor there. Visitors can watch the Parliament at work from the Strangers’ Gallery. The Speaker sits on the green chair.
Parliament Square
Westminster Abbey is on one side, the Houses of Parliament on the other. The buildings of the Houses of Parliament is not old, it dates only from the 19th century, and is in the Gothic style. When the Parliament has a sitting a flag flies from the Victoria Tower. It is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Another tower, the Clock Tower, is famous for the hour bell and the clock named “Big Ben”. Only a short way from the Houses of Parliament there is one of the most beautiful of all English buildings – W.A., founded in the 11th century. There are many tombstones, monuments and statues there. For nearly 1000 years all the Kings and Queens of England – 41 in all – have been crowned here. If u go past the magnificent tombstones of kings and queens, some made of gold and precious stones u will come to the Poets’ Corner. There many of the greatest writers were buried. Geoffrey Chauser, Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling. Burns and Byron, Walter Scott and the great American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Here in the Abbey there is also the Grave of the Unknown Warrior that commemorate the men who died on the First World War.
The square has a lot of statues including Richard the Pion-Hearted, and Oliver Cromvell. It also has the masterpiece of Sir Henry Mur – the statue of Sir Winston Churchill.
St.Paul’s Cathedral
The City’s greatest monument and on of the finest Renaissance cathedrals in Europe is St.Paul’s Cathedral. The old cathedral was completely destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. People put their belongings in the church, thinking it was safe, but the fire soon reached it. It was so hot it turned the church bells into molten metal. Christopher When a famous English architect, was commissioned to rebuild Saint Paul’s. He made several plans before one was accepted. In the Crypt of the church you can see scale models of his rejected designs. It took nearly 35 years to build the Cathedral, being finished in 1710. Running around the interior of the dome is the famous Whispering Gallery. It is called so because you can clearly hear the whisper made by someone who is standing on the opposite side of the gallery. Big Paul, the heaviest bell in the country, is in the northern bell tower at the front of Saint Paul’s. It rings every weekday at 1 p.m. to let people know that it is lunchtime. Another bell Big Tom, tolls when a monarch or important churchmen die. The church bells in the other tower are rung on Sundays and to celebrate great occasions
The City
All the principle streets of London lead to the heart of the City, the financial and business center of Great Britain. The City is about one square mile in area and only a few thousand people live there. But by day, many people swarm its streets and offices. Here there are the Bank of England, The Stock Exchange and headquarters of many of the richest companies and corporations in the world. The City’s greatest monument and on of the finest Renaissance cathedrals in Europe is St.Paul’s Cathedral. The old cathedral was completely destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. People put their belongings in the church, thinking it was safe, but the fire soon reached it. It was so hot it turned the church bells into molten metal. Christopher When a famous English architect, was commissioned to rebuild Saint Paul’s. He made several plans before one was accepted. Running around the interior of the dome is the famous Whispering Gallery. It is called so because you can clearly hear the whisper made by someone who is standing on the opposite side of the gallery.
Tower Bridge is the only Thames bridge which can be raised. The road over the bridge is built on two central sections called bascules, which open two or three times a week to let ships through. There are displays inside the bridge on its history. (T.S.+W.A.+H.P.)
The Climate of the British Isles
The position of Great Britain gives it a temperate climate. Britain lies in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is surrounded by the sea which makes the climate warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The Gulf Stream influences the English climate greatly. The climate is not the same in all parts of England. The western part is warmer than the eastern one and it also has more rains. The western hills and mountains shut out some of the mild wind from the Atlantic. On Western coast gales are always strong. The south-western winds are the most frequent. They usually bring mild weather. There is much humidity in the air. Britain is well known as a foggy country. The annual temperature in London is about 8 degrees C.
Scotland is a part of Britain and Wales. Scotland is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the North Sea, on the southeast by England, southwest by the Irish Sea and on the west by the Western Isles. Like the climate of the rest of Great Britain, that of Scotland is subject to the moderating influences of the surrounding seas. As a result of these influences, extreme seasonal variations are rare, and temperate winters and cool summers are the outstanding climatic features. Low temperatures, however, are common during the winter season in the mountainous districts of the interior. In the western coastal region, which is subject to the moderating effects of the Gulf Stream, conditions are somewhat milder than is the east. The average temperature in January is 4 degrees C and in July is about 15 degrees C. Scotland’s weather is similar to Wales and England.
Wales is a part of the United Kingdom. It also includes the mall island off Wales called Anglesey. Wales is bounded on the North by the Irish Sea, on the east by the English counties, on the South by the Bristol Channel, and the west by Saint George. Wales is almost all mountains. The tops of the mountains are covered with the snow. The climate in Wales is very moist and mild like in the United Kingdom. The average temperature in January is about 6 degrees C and in July is about 16 degrees C.
Ireland’s climate is mainly determined by its position in the north temperate zone and the effect of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The climate is relatively uniform throughout. The prevailing west winds carry rain from the Atlantic, resulting in heavier rainfall in the western and southern parts of the country. Summers are relatively cool, with July and August being the warmest months, whilst winters are relatively mild with January and February being the coldest months. Snow falls occasionally in winter months but it is rarely prolonged and usually only lasts for a few days.
The Royal Residences
Kensington Palace is a royal palace in London. Originally a private country house, the building was acquired by William III and Mary II in 1689 and was adopted for royal residence by Sir Christopher Wren. Kensington House as it was known became William and Mary’s principal residence. For the next 70 years the palace was at the center of the life and government of the kingdom and played host to the courts of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I and George II.
In the XIX century Kensington was the birthplace and home of Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria). By the end of 19th century, the State Apartments at Kensington Palace were in a very bad state of repair having been used as stores for paintings and furnishings from other palaces. In April 1897 a decision was made to restore the palace and Parliament agreed to fund the work on the condition that the building should be opened up to the public. Parts of the palace remains a private residence for members of the royal family, the State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection are open to the public.
Buckingham Palace is the London home of the Queen and Prince Philip. The Palace is also the administrative headquarters of the monarchy. The Queen receives visiting heads of state at the palace and it is here that the Queen holds garden parties and bestowed knighthoods and other honours. Foot Guards from the Household Division in their distinctive red tunics and black bearskins, can be seen on guard duty outside the palace daily. The Changing the Guard ceremony now takes place only every other day in the winter but it is still daily in the summer months. After a serious fire damaged Winsdor Castle in 1993 the Queen allowed the Palace State rooms to be opened to the public for the first time, to help pay the Winsdor Castle repair bill.