Английский язык. - 73 стр.

standing in large gardens. If the Queen’s flag flies over the Palace, it means
that the Queen is in the residence. Londoners usually watch the Changing of
the Guards in the forecourt of the palace. It lasts 30 minutes.
     Another well-known square of London is Piccadilly Circus. It is the
entertainment center for the West End of London. In the middle of it there is
a statue of Eros, the God of Love. The statue is made of aluminium and is so
light that can be easily lifted by 2 or 3 men.
     On the left bank of the Thames stands Westminster Abbey, which is
now the political center of London. In the 11th century King Edward the
Confessor decided to build a great abbey church there. There are many royal
tombs in the Abbey, like the tomb of Edward the Confessor himself, and
memorials to famous men and women. The most popular ones are those to
writers, poets and musicians in the Poet’s Corner. William the Conqueror
was crowned there, and since then all the coronations have taken place in
the Abbey. During the reign of Edward the Confessor the Palace of
Westminster was built too. It was the royal residence and also the country’s
main court. The Parliament met here since the 16th till the 19th century. The
present Houses of Parliament designed by Sir Charles Barry were built in
1850 after the fire in the Palace of Westminster in 1834. There are two
houses in the Parliament: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
St.Stephen’s Tower of the Houses of Parliament contains probably the most
famous clock in the world Big Ben.
     Another place, which attracts tourists, is St.Paul’s Cathedral. St.Paul’s
Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. It was built since 1675
until 1709. It is crowned with a huge dome. Inside the dome there is the
famous Whispering Gallery. There are many memorials in the Cathedral.
Such people as Wellington, Nelson and Wren himself are buried here.
The Tower of London was planned as a castle. It was built about 9 centuries
ago by William the Conqueror. It is associated with many important events
in the British history. It was a place of State intrigue and executions. The
Tower has been a fortress, a palace, a prison, a mint. The Tower is now the
home of the Crown jewels protected by Yeomen Guards more known as
«Beefeaters».
     London is also noted for its museums and art galleries. Among them are
the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery of
sculpture, the Museum of London, the Museum of Moving Image, Madam
Tussaud’s Museum of life-size portraits in wax and many others. But the
most well-known and one of the largest in the world is the British Museum.
The British Museum was founded by Act of Parliament in 1753 to bring
together the collection of Sir Robert Cotton, some others and future addition


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