London and its places of interest

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial center. It’s the chief port of Great Britain. It’s one of the greatest cities of the world. Its population is over 9 million. London is the seat of the British Government. It’s located on both banks of the Thames.

The origin of the city may be dated as the beginning of the 1^st century A.D. (Anno Domini), when a tribe of the Celtic family settled near the Thames.

London is a real museum of architecture. Most of the finest buildings date from the 2^nd half of the 17^th century.

Traditionally London is divided into the City, the West End, Westminster and the East End.

The City is the heart of London; it is the oldest part of London. The City is financial and business center. The City has within its square mile such famous institutions as the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, and the Royal Courts of Justice. Few people live in this part of London but over a million come here to work.

There are a lot of famous ancient buildings within the City. The most striking of them is St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. It was built between 1675 and 1710 to replace the 13^th century cathedral which has been destroyed by the Great Fire.

Westminster is one of the most famous historic areas of London as it is both the seat of the Government and the crowning place of kings and queens.

Westminster Abbey is a beautiful Gothic building. In the 11^th century Edward the Confessor founded a great Norman Abbey. Almost all the monarchs since William the Conqueror have been crowned in Westminster and many are buried there. There are memorials of many statesmen, scientists and writers in Westminster. Westminster Abbey is not a Cathedral. It is dependent directly on the monarch.

The Clock Tower is one of the best known London sights. Big Ben is the name of the great bell which strikes every hour. Light in the tower tells that the House of Commons is in the session at night.

The West End is the center of London. There are historical palaces, museums, beautiful parks, large department stores, hotels, restaurants, theatres and concert halls in this part of London. One of the most beautiful palaces is Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen which was built in 1703. It contains 600 rooms. The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is London’s most important tourist attraction.

The oldest of all the royal residences in London is the Tower of London. The Tower today bears her official title of “Her Majesty’s Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London”. Founded by William the Conqueror in 1078 the fortress was enlarged several times. Now it is a museum, which houses the national collection of amour and the Crown Jewels. For many centuries the Tower has been a fortress, the Royal residence, the Royal Mint, the first Royal Observatory. But it is perhaps most famous for being a prison.

Trafalgar Square, named so to commemorate Nelson’s great naval victory of 1805, is one of London’s tourist attractions. In the middle of the square there is Nelson’s Column.

The East End is the eastern part of London. It is an industrial part of the capital. The Port of London is also in the East End. It is the poorest part of London. Factory workers, fishermen and dockers live there. In the East End there are no big parks, gardens or famous buildings.

 

Some facts about United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland

United Kingdom

The national tree: The oak

Motto: Dieu et mon droit (French) "God and my right"

Anthem: "God Save the King" Note: "King" is replaced with "Queen" in the lyrics whenever the monarch is female.

 

Country	Saint Patron	National Flower	National Animal
England	St. George	Tudor Rose	Lion
Scotland	St. Andrew	Thistle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-National_Emblems_of_Britain-1	Unicorn
Wales	St. Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-5	Leek Daffodil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-National_Emblems_of_Britain-1	Red Dragon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-6
Northern Ireland There is no official National flag of Northern Ireland. The Cross of St Patrick is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. It is used to represent Ireland on the Union Flag.	St. Patrick	Shamrock Flax	None

 

	The Royal Family
Queen Elizabeth	Prince Charles	Prince William

· It is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe.

· London is the capital of the UK.

· The Parliament consists of House of Commons and House of Lords.

· Monarch: Elizabeth II.

· The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands.

· The UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.

· The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories: Anguilla; Bermuda; the British Antarctic Territory; the British Indian Ocean Territory; the British Virgin Islands; the Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; the Turks and Caicos Islands; the Pitcairn Islands; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus.

· The name "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" was introduced in 1927.

· The country is separated from France by the English Channel.

· The UK's three major political parties are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

· Buckingham Palace, in London, is the official residence and office of the British monarch.

· Education is now compulsory from ages five to sixteen.

· The Prime Minister's official residence is 10 Downing Street.

· Heathrow is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom.

· Jerome K. Jerome was English writer and humorist. He is best known for his humorous and comic masterpiece "Three Men in a Boat".

· Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English author, journalist and poet who wrote the famous fiction The Jungle Book.

· William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer and poet ever known in the English language who authored world's greatest poems, drama and sonnets.

· Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish doctor, author and poet, and is most notably remembered for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes.

· Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who invented the first practical telephone.

· Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.

· Joanne Rowling, better known as J. K. Rowling, is a British novelist, best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series.

· The London Eye is the world's largest observation wheel.

· The British Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world.

· The famous bell Big Ben named after Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Commissioner of Works when the bell was hung in 1858.

· The National Gallery has a rich collection of over 2000 western paintings. All hang in chronological order.

· Covent Garden is one of the top shopping and entertainment areas in London. It is also the home for the Royal Opera House and the London Transport Museum.

· Madame Tussauds London is a major tourist attraction located in Central London, housed in the former London Planetarium. It is famous for recreating famous people in wax.

· The statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was buried at St Paul's Cathedral, stands high above the traffic at Trafalgar square.

· St. Paul's Cathedral is the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren.

· The Underground system in London is also colloquially called the Tube.

· Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and a leader in learning, teaching and research.

· Ben Nevis, at a height of 1344 meters is the highest point in Great Britain.

· Great Britain was known as the land of Albinos and hence its name was Albion. Britannia, the word used by the Romans for the British Isles, gave rise to the name Britain.

· The longest river is The Severn, measuring 322 km long.

· The official name for the British flag is Union Jack.

· The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June.

· The Queen never gives interviews, but every year she makes a speech which is broadcast on television on Christmas Day, continuing a tradition started by her grandfather King George V in 1932.

· The plant (flower) – symbol of peace in Great Britain is poppy.

 

_________________________________

 

aboriginal	- коренной житель
colloquially	- в разговорной речи
to comprise	- состоять из
contiguous	- сопредельный
daffodil	- желтый нарцисс
to elect	- избирать
explorer	- исследователь
flax	- лен
headquarters	- штаб-квартира
Inuit	- эскимос
Iroquoian	- ирокезский
leek	- лук-порей
maple	- клен
oak	- дуб
pejorative	- уничижительный, бранный
poppy	- мак
respectively	- соответственно
shamrock	- трилистник
Stock Exchange	- фондовая биржа
thistle	- чертополох
unicorn	- единорог
wax	- воск

 

UNIT 5:

YOUTH PROBLEMS. FRIENDSHIP

TEXT A: YOUTH PROBLEMS

Read and translate this text:

Everyone says that youth is probably the best time of your life that being young means romance, love, new discoveries and so on. But it’s also the most difficult time because you have to make some very important decisions which will have influence on all your future life. Our time isn’t the easiest one even for adults, but for teenagers who are to find their own place in the society it’s very difficult.

Today it is fashionable to speak about teenage problems. All youth problems can be divided into 2 types: social and psychological (emotional) ones.

At present day problems of young people are among main problems of our society. They are interconnected and depend on each other. These important problems are drug and alcohol addiction, prostitution, problem of mutual understanding of parents and teenagers, vagrancy, gangsterism and others. On the face of it, a lot of various reasons of drugs taking appear but in reality it’s only leaving from real life and real problems in the society and family. These problems exist in every country.

A few years ago alcohol, fights, killings and other kinds of violence were more problems for adults than for young people.

But now, as official report admits, violence, AIDS, drugs and alcohol are more and more associated with youngest. For many children from poor families violence, drinking problems and all that is associated with poverty becomes more real than reality.

But the most wide-spread youth problem is so called “teenage runaways ”.

Many young people leave home because their parents throw them out or because life is almost impossible for them. It may be because of terrible problems in the home – a divorce, a parent with an alcohol problem, a new stepparent, or parents’ violence. Such teenagers usually live in the streets or in any repair for children. That’s why they often say about themselves that living in the streets might seem dangerous if you haven’t ever done it … but you learn to survive.

What has gone wrong? Some specialists explain that the changes of our society, the system of our life force young people to choose their own lifestyle. On the one hand, our society agrees that 15-17-year old people are old enough to be responsible for what they do and give them quite a lot of freedom and rights. On the other hand, most adults think that teenagers are too young to be taken seriously. This misunderstanding produced many problems. Actually, a lot of teenagers say that their parents let them do anything they want and are quite indifferent to their problems. Many teenagers get upset or depressed when they can't solve their problems. As a result, it makes them believe that there is only one way out - to stop living and commit suicide.

The Government surveys show that every fifth teenager who was arrested for criminal actions, was younger than 14 and couldn't be sent to prison. Almost half of teenagers have an experience with drugs, alcohol and sex under age of 16. A lot of teenagers who have drug or alcohol addiction almost never believe that they are dependent. These things are often combined with family and school problems.

So it’s necessary not only to fit into society, but also to be sure about your position at the age of 5, 10 or 20. For the future it’s important to have a good job and to get a really a good job you have to be well-educated. After secondary school every girl or boy should choose an educational institution or if he or she doesn’t want to study any more, to choose a job right now. But even if you are studying, you need some money of your own. Your parents provide you with home, food and necessary clothes, but you have your own tastes, you want extra clothes and so on. To pay for extra clothes, books, i-phones, touch pads, things necessary for your hobbies you have to work, and in our country it’s very difficult for teenagers to find a job without any qualification.

Emotional problems for the young people can be far more difficult than financial ones. The typical teenager problem is that “nobody understands me”. Parents often continue treating their teenage children as if they were little kids, when they probably consider themselves as adults.

Youth is also the time to meet one’s first love. Of course, it’s wonderful but as it’s widely known that the first love often has an unhappy end, which increases the youth problems. Even the friends can’t always stay friends.

No doubt, the teens' problems will increase. And young people should fell that they are cared for.

So as you see, it’s very difficult to be young nowadays, as however, it was always difficult. But you can be young only once, and some wonderful things can only happen when you are young. So it’s better to enjoy youth while it lasts.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY