Автор работы: Пользователь скрыл имя, 04 Мая 2014 в 19:33, реферат
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and cultural centre. It's one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is more than million people. London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old and beautiful. It was founded more than two thousand years ago. Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, the West End, the East End and Westminster. The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. The heart of the City is the Stock Exchange. Westminster is the most important part of the capital. It's the administrative centre.
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London
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and cultural centre. It's one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is more than million people. London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old and beautiful. It was founded more than two thousand years ago. Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, the West End, the East End and Westminster. The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. The heart of the City is the Stock Exchange. Westminster is the most important part of the capital. It's the administrative centre. The Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Government, are there. It's a very beautiful building with two towers and a very big clock called Big Ben. Big Ben is really the bell which strikes every quarter of an hour. Opposite the Houses of Parliament is Westminster Abbey. It's a very beautiful church built over 900 years ago. The tombs of many great statesmen, scientists and writers are there.
Tho the west of Westminster is West End. Here we find most of the big shops, hotels, museums, art galleries, theatres and concert halls. Picadilly Circus is the heart of London's West End. In the West End there are wide streets with beautiful houses and many parks, gardens and squares. To the east of Westminster is the East End, an industrial district of the capital. There are no parks or gardens in the East End and you can't see many fine houses there. Most of the plants and factories are situated there. London has many places of interest. One of them is Buckingham Palace. It's the residence of the Queen. The English are proud of Trafalgar Square, which was named so in memory of the victory at the battle. There in 1805 the English fleet defeated the fleet of France and Spain. The last place of interest I should like to mention, is the British Museum, the biggest museum in London. The museum is famous for its library -one of the richest in the world.
The history of London goes back to Roman times. Due to favourable geographical position, soon after the Roman conquest, a small town became an important trade centre. Actually, London can be divided into several parts: the City or Downtown of London, Westminster, the West End and the East End. The City is the oldest part of London with narrow streets and pavements. There are many offices, companies and banks in this part of London. The City of London is the financial centre of the United Kingdom. Only a few thousand people live there, but in the day-time it is full of people: as about half a million people come to work there. The biggest Banks and offices are concentrated in the City. The West End is the centre of London. It is full of richest hotels, largest supermarkets, best cinemas and concerthalls. There are a lot of beautiful houses and gardens. Only well-to-do people can live there.
Another important district of London is Westminster, where most of Government buildings are situated. Westminster Palace is the seat of the British Parliament.
Westminster Palace was founded in 1050. It is situated in the centre
of London. Many great Englishmen were buried in the Abbey: Newton, Darwin
and others.
The Towers of the Houses of Parliament stand high above the city. On
the highest tower there is the largest clock in the country which is
known to the whole world as Big Ben. One can hear Big Ben strike every
quarter of an hour. The clock «Big Ben» came into service in 1859.
Big Ben is the biggest clock bell in Britain. The official London residence
of the Queen is Buckingham Palace. It was built in the 18th century.
There are many nice squares in London. Trafalgar Square is one of them and it is in the centre of the West End.
In 1665, during the Great Plague, nearly 70,000 Londoners died of to the disease with a period of a year. The epidemic was followed by the Great Fire of 1666, which destroyed most of the walled section of the city. Because the Rebuilding Act of 1667 stipulated that only stone and brick be used, the new buildings that rose from the ruins bore little resemblance to the quaint wooden dwellings of old London.
During the 19th century many suburbs were incorporated into Greater London, all the bridges in the city were rebuilt in stone, and the streets were furnished first with gas, and later with electric, illumination.
During World War 1 London was the object of frequent raids by German airplanes and zeppelins. The city was heavily bombed during World War 2. About 10,000 persons wee killed.
One can see a statue of Lord Nelson in the middle of this square. There are many museums, libraries and galleries in London. The Tate Gallery is one of the well-known galleries in London. Henry Tate was a sugar manufacturer. He was fond of paintings and collected many pictures. The British Museum is a very interesting place in London. It was founded in 1753. The library of this museum has lots of books.
All London's long-past history is told by its streets. There are many streets in London which are known all over the" world. Among them Oxford Street, Downing Street and a lot of others can be mentioned. And tourists are usually attracted not only by the places of interest but by the streets too. In conclusion I should say if you are lucky enough to find yourself in London some day you will have a lot to see and enjoy there.
Westminster area is also called the City of Westminster. It is the most important part of London, where Parliament and most government offices are located.
Westminster Abbey is regarded as the centre of this area. They say, the City was founded here near the monastery as far back as the 7th century.
In the 11th century King Edward the Confessor decided to build a great abbey church there. It was a monastery for a long time.
William the Conqueror was crowned there and since then many kings and queens of England followed this tradition. There is the ancient Coronation Chair beneath which there is the Stone of Scone (the ancient Scottish Coronation Throne that was brought to England by King Edward I as a sign of defeat of Scotland.
Many English kings and queens and other famous statesmen, writers, scientists are buried in Westminster Abbey. Among them there are two queens rivals Elizabeth I Tudor and Mary Stuart, Oliver Cromwell, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. It is famous for the Poet’s Corner, where most popular writers (Kipling, Chaucer, Hardy, Dickens), poets and musicians are buried.
Opposite Westminster Abbey there are the Houses of Parliament, which are often called the Palace of Westminster (or Westminster Palace). Westminster Palace was built in medieval days. It was a place of royal dwelling as early as the 11th century, which later became the meeting place of Parliament. It was destroyed many times by fire, and the foundation stone of the new Houses of Parliament was laid in 1840.
It is a beautiful building with two towers. In the north part of the Houses there is Victoria Tower. It is 104 metres high and the national flag is hoisted on its top when the Parliament is sitting. In the southern part of the building there is its clock tower, St. Stephen’s Tower with the famous Big Ben. St. Stephen’s Tower is more often called Big Ben, which is actually the name of the largest bell on the clock tower and a part of the Great Clock of Westminster. Its official name is the Great Bell of Westminster. It is 13.5 tons. The origin of the name belongs to Sir Benjamin Hall, the chief Commissioner of Works, when the Houses of Parliament were rebuilt in 1850. Sir Benjamin Hall was a very tall and stout man. His nickname was "Big Ben".
Parliament Square in front of the Palace of Westminster is famous for the monuments to great British statesmen. There is a monument to Oliver Cromwell and a monument to Winston Churchill.
Whitehall, the governmental street, begins from Parliament Square. Most British ministries like the Admiralty and official residences are situated here. The British Government itself is often called Whitehall.
Downing Street is very small and is usually associated with Whitehall. Downing Street (House №10) is the official residence of British prime ministers.
Down the Whitehall Street there is not less popular street called the Mall, the straightest and the broadest street in the central part of London. Once the Mall has been an alley and the King played ball on it. The French name of this ball game — "pall-mall" — gave names to two neighbouring streets: Pall Mall and the Mall. The Mall is now the front entrance to the Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace (the Palace) is the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family. When the Queen is at the residence the flag is flying on top of Buckingham Palace. It was a country residence of the Duke of Buckingham. But in the 19th century it was rebuilt for King George. The square in front of the Palace is decorated with Victoria Memorial built in 1911. The Changing of the Royal Guard is the ceremony that you can see in front of Buckingham Palace. It dates back to the 17th century. The ceremony takes place every morning at 11.30 and lasts for 30 minutes. It is a real theatrical performance. The Queen’s Guards wear traditional uniforms and tall black fur caps called "busbies".
Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of the British capital. The square was named "Trafalgar" to commemorate Admiral Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. There is the monument in the centre of the square known as Nelson’s Column. Around the monument there are four bronze bar-reliefs, representing scenes of Nelson’s life and death. The statue is guarded at the base by four bronze lions. Nelson was killed in the battle but the victory was won. The English consider Admiral Nelson to be a national hero for his victory in the war against Napoleon.
The National Gallery (a great picture museum) is situated on Trafalgar Square. It contains a wonderful collection of works from the British, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish schools, which existed between the 13th and the 19th centuries.
Scotland Yard is the name of the police headquarters and the police itself.
Fleet Street is associated with British newspapers and is located between Westminster and the City.
The West End it is not far from the City and is a part of Westminster. Life never stops in the streets and squares here. The West End is a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, the most expensive restaurants, clubs, theatres, cinemas, casinos, shops and supermarkets are located here. It is also full of museums and art galleries.
The parks are probably the main attraction of the West End. They occupy the most part of its territory. They say, if gardens and parks are "lungs" of a city, Londoners must have good health. There are many lawns in the parks where people lie or sit about.
They say it is not difficult to make a real English lawn: one should mow and water it every day for one hundred years and the lawn is ready! Easy, isn’t it?
Hyde Park is the largest and the most popular of the London parks. This park is famous for its Speaker’s Corner which attracts a lot of tourists. Here people of different beliefs and persuasions can say what they want for those who want to hear it. Marble Arch is also here. It was built to commemorate Lord Wellington’s victory over Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo.
Next to Hyde Park there is the famous luxury department store which is called Harrods.
Kensington Gardens is also one of the biggest parks.
St. James’s Park is one of the royal parks. Here you can see pelicans called "Royal Pelicans". It is located right next to Buckingham Palace.
The Regent’s Park is famous for London Zoo which is considered to be one of the biggest zoos in the world.
Piccadilly Circus is the heart of the West End and is the centre of entertainment. It is a famous square which is a meeting point of six streets. It is called "circus" because of its shape. In the middle of Piccadilly Circus there is a graceful statue of Eros. Piccadilly Circus is beautiful with enormous advertisements.
Soho is one of the districts located in the West End (between Regent Street and Charring Cross). The legend goes that in old days there were green fields in this place which were good for fox-hunting. When a hunter saw a fox, he cried to the dogs "So-ho!" and they rushed after the fox. Now the district of Soho is famous for its remarkable restaurants, pubs and night clubs.
There are some other famous streets.
Harley Street is the street where the highest paid doctors live.
Regent Street is best for shopping.
Charring Cross is a famous street of bookstores.
Oxford Street is considered to be the busiest street in London.
The West End is also very popular for its museums.
The British Museum is the best-known national museum of antiquities and ethnography. It is famous for its library and reading halls.
The Tate Picture Gallery on Mill bank is another famous museum. It is the redeveloped bank side Power Station. Its collection contains pictures by English masters of the 19th century and the works of West European classics and modern artists (Picasso, Monet and Warhol).
The old district of Covent Garden is also a museum and a great fair at the same time. It is also a theatre district. The famous Royal Opera House (home of both Royal Ballet and Royal Opera) is here but you can see all kinds of theatrical performances right in the squares of the district.
A short distance to the north there is Baker Street. It is the location of Madame Tussaud’s Museum, which is famous for its collection of waxworks. The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street contains a representation of the fictional detective’s apartment.
Three of London’s largest museums — the Victoria & Albert, Science and Natural History, and the Royal Albert Hall are also here.
Another new attraction in the area is the London Eye — a Ferris wheel, which at 137 metres is the world’s tallest one, offering good views from its enclosed capsules.
The East End used to be a purely working district where working-class families lived. We still can find a great number of factories, workshops and docks there. But now the docks are being renovated. For example, St. Katharine’s Dock, close to Tower Bridge, is now an attractive marina surrounded by wine bars and restaurants.
The East End is in many ways the "real" London. Those who live in the East End are often called Cockneys, i.e. true Londoners. They have got their own peculiar dialect and accent.
The Thames is a natural boundary between the West End and the East End of London.
Anyone visiting London for the first time and walking along the Thames Embankment may be surprised to see an original Egyptian obelisk known as Cleopatra’s Needle. It actually has little to do with Cleopatra at all. It has this name because it was brought to London from Alexandria, the royal city of Cleopatra.
There are a lot of places of interest in London. Among them there are: Westminster Abbey,the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, the Tower of London.
London stands on the river Thames. Crossing the river by the Tower Bridge you can see the Tower of London. It is one of the oldest buildings of the city. Many centuries ago it was a fortress, a royal palace and then a prison. Now it is a museum of arms.
On the bank of the Thames, not far from the Tower of London, you can see Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament. It is the seat of the British government and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in London. In one of its towers there is famous Big Ben, the largest clock of England. It strikes every quarter of an hour.
Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s official London residence. Tourists always go to see the ceremony of changing the Guard there.
London has many fine squares. Some of them are quiet, others are busy like Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square is the central square of the city. To the right of the square there is the National Gallery which has a fine collection of European paintings.
St Paul’s Cathedral is the biggest English church. Another famous church is Westminster Abbey where kings, queens, and many famous people are buried.
London is also famous for its beautiful parks. Hyde Park is the most democratic park in the world, as anyone can say anything he likes there. Regent’s Park is the home of London Zoo.
The best starting point for all the excursions is well known Trafalgar square with Nelson’s Column in the center. The square was named to commemorate the victory of British vice-admiral Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and the Column is surmounted with his statue. I have managed to see this monument and it has made a great impression on me.
Then I recommend you to see the Houses of Parliament on the north bank of the river Thames. It also has another name – the Palace of Westminster - as in the past here lived kings and queens.
This ensemble is a remarkable example of Gothic architecture: the buildings seem to be directed high into the air and of course are worth seeing. And here you will find the famous Clock Tower, called “Big Ben”.
The next stop is Westminster Abbey. It is a big church and a national shrine, a place, where English kings and queens are crowned and famous people are buried. It’s well known for its’ Poets’ Corner with memorials to English poets and writers who were buried here.
Everybody has heard about Saint Paul’s Cathedral. It is the largest Protestant Church in England and a remarkable architectural masterpiece. It contains the unique Whispering Gallery where you can hear the whisper of the person, standing at the other end of the gallery.
And at the end you should see the majestic and dreary Tower of London, which has an abundant history. It was one of the first and most impressive castles built after the Norman invasion of England in the 11th century. It has been used as a royal palace, an observatory, and arsenal and, finally, as a state prison. And now it’s a museum where you can see the Crown Jewels - the finest precious stones of the English nation and a great collection of armour.
No doubt that in London there are many other sights – Tate Gallery, City, Hyde Park and others, and everyone will find a preference according to his taste.
You should only remember that in this city you will get fresh impressions, take great delight in viewing monuments and discover the history of England.
I think it necessary that every person should visit London!
The masterpiece of architecture in the City today is St. Paul’s Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren, the famous English architect of the 17th century. In this Cathedral there are statues and tombs of the national English heroes: Nelson, Wellington and others.
The Tower of London is an old castle, situated in the City. It was used as a fortress , a palace and a prison. During its long period of existence it was time when the Tower was even the Zoo. It was the Royal Zoo, of course. Now the Tower is a museum and houses the Crown jewels and other treasures. There is a legend in England that the Tower will fall if it loses it’s ravens. That is why these birds are carefully guarded.
Westminster is the aristocratic, official part of London. It is very attractive for tourists because it has historical places full of customs ad traditions. Parliament is situated in the Palace of Westminster. The famous Big Ben, the clock from which all people of this country take the time is in one of its beautiful towers..
Westminster Abbey is very beautiful church, which is more than 900 years old. Nearly all the kings and queens of Britain were crowned and buried there. Many famous people of this country were buried in the Abbey, among them Newton, Darwin, Dickens, Kipling and others. In the Poet’s corner there are memorials to Shakespeare, Burns, Byron, Scott, Thackeray and Longfellow.
The official residence of the Queen of England is Buckingham Palace. The changing of the guard before Buckingham Palace several times a day is watched by hundreds of people.
London has 30 museums. One of the best known museums is the British Museum, its library has unique collection of manuscripts; the richest collection of antiquities and seven million of books. The Art Galleries of London such as the TaleJjallerv, the National Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts are considered to be the largest in the British Commonwealth.