Английский язык. Александрова Г.А. - 73 стр.

                                 Unit 8
                      Conversational topic London
                                        Text 1
       London is one of the largest and most interesting cities in the world.
London today stretches for nearly thirty miles from north to south and for
nearly thirty miles from east to west. This is the area known as «Greater
London», with a population of nine million. The River Thames winds its
way through London and divides it into the two parts known as the north
bank and the south bank. Fifteen bridges span it, perhaps the best known
being Westminster, Waterloo, Tower and London bridges.
       Traditionally London is divided into Westminster, the West End
and the East End. They are very different from each other.
       The heart of London is the City - its commercial and business cen-
tre. The City of London is a very small part of the whole; it is only one
square mile in area, and the number of people who live and sleep in the
City is only about ten thousand. Numerous banks, offices and firms are
concentrated here, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange
and the Old Bailey, where important criminal trials take place. Visitors
who come to learn about London’s history will find much to interest them
in the City. Here most of the streets are narrow, and traffic is often very
slow.
       The most striking building in the City is St. Paul’s Cathedral de-
signed by famous English architect, Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723).
St. Paul’s Cathedral with its huge dome and rows of columns is consid-
ered to be a fine specimen of Renaissance architecture. In one of its tow-
ers hangs one of the largest bells in the world, Great Paul, weighing about
17.5 tons. Wellington, Nelson and other great men of England are buried
in the Cathedral.
       Round St. Paul’s is the original London, the oldest part, with a his-
tory of almost two thousand years. Westminster, with its Palace and Ab-
bey, is six hundred years younger.
       The ancient City of London has always governed itself and has not
shared in the government of the rest of London. The City has its own Lord
Mayor and its own Corporation. Ever since 1215 the Lord Mayor has
been chosen annually. He begins his duties on 8 November, and in the

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