The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

Task 16. Make up the summary of the text using tasks 13B and 14.

Task 15. Put the sentences into the right order according to the text above (Task 3).

Task 14. A. Match the following points of the plan with the corresponding passages of the text. One is extra.

Task 13. True or false.

1. You can hardly call London very cosmopolitan.

2. London gives work to millions of people who live only in the inner city areas.

3. There are many buildings in London that express all the different areas of its history.

4. There is not much in London which fascinates visitors and inspires the affection of Londoners.

5. Buckingham Palace was built in the 18^th century by the Duke of Buckingham.

6. The Cenotaph is the memorial to the English Queen.

7. At the heart of Piccadilly Circus there is a bronze fountain topped by a figure of Eros, the pagan god of love.

8. St. James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens form 13 hectares of open parkland in the heart of London.

9. Buckingham Palace is the official Washington residence of the Sovereign.

10. The heart of London is the City – its commercial and business centre.

1) London as a centre of attraction

2) London as a business centre

3) London parks

4) London sights

5) London as a city of great contrasts

6) London traffic

7) London as a capital

B. Write out the key sentences for each point of the plan.

1. There is much in London which fascinates visitors: the royal palaces and the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and many monuments.

2. London streets are crowded with traffic.

3. Other famous places in London are Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square Whitehall, Downing Street, etc.

4. The heart of London is the City – its commercial and business centre.

5. There are many beautiful parks in London such as St. James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens.

6. It draws people from all over the world.

7. Its West end is the richest part and its East End is the districtfor the poor.

8. London is a city of great contrasts.

9. London is the capital of the UK.

10. Some come on business, some come to study, to work or on holiday.

Additional reading

Task 17. Read the texts about sights of London. Look through the map of London, find those sights on it. Present your own route of visiting those places. Act as a guide and present a tour round London, use information from the texts. Add your own information:

The palace of Westminster, usually known as the Houses of Parliament, dates only from the 19th century, but it stands on the site of the palace founded by Edward the Confessor.

The Palace of Westminster was used both as a royal residence and as a parliament house until 1512. On October 16, 1834, the old Palace of Westminster was almost destroyed by fire. After the fire, it was decided to erect a new Palace of Westminster on the old historic site. The modern palace was begun in 1840. The foundation stone of the new building, designed by Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, was laid in 1840, and Queen Victoria opened First Parliament there in 1849. The new Palace of Westminster extends over 8 acres of ground, contains 11 quadrangles, and includes 1000 rooms and 100 staircases.

There are two towers in the Palace of Westminster: the Victoria Tower and the Clock Tower. The Victoria Tower holds the records of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British flag (called the Union Jack), flying from Victoria Tower shows that Parliament is in session. The light in the Clock Tower also indicates that Parliament is in session.

The clock came into service in 1859 and was nicknamed "Big Ben". It chimes the hours to the tune of Hendel's music. Big Ben is the biggest clock bell in Britain. It weighs 13,5 tons.

The Clock Tower is 318 feet high. You have to go up 374 steps to reach the top. So the clock looks small from the pavement below the tower. The four clock dials are 22,5 feet in diameter, the hour hands are nine feel long and the minute hands are 14 feet. The bell weighs 13,5 tons and the hammer which strikes it weighs 8 tons.

The clock bell was called Big Ben after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was given the job of having the bell hoisted up.

Sir Benjamin was a very tall and stout man, whose nickname was "Big Ben". One day he said in Parliament, "Shall we call the bell St. Stephen's? St. Stephen is the name of the tower". But someone joked, "Why not call it Big Ben?" Now the bell is known all over the world by that name.

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