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About London.
Id like to tell you about London. As you know, London stands on the river Thames. London, the capital of Great Britain, is a very old city. It is more than two thousand years old. Now London is a big port and a beautiful city with large squares and parks. About 8 million people live here. It is one of the biggest cities in the world. The Thames is not a long river. It is 3 hundred and 30 kilometres long and it flows into the sea. The English people call it The Father of London. There are some interesting places in London. They are Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, St. Pauls Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament and some others. Now lets visit some of them.
Trafalgar Square.
Trafalgar Square is in the centre of London. It was built in 1828. In the middle of Trafalgar Square is Nelsons Column. This Column is fifty meters high. A lot of demonstrations and public meetings take place here. Its a famous square where on New Years Eve people gather to celebrate.
National Gallery.
On the north side of Trafalgar Square there is the National Gallery. It houses one of the finest art collections in the world. It includes paintings of the British, Italian, Spanish, French and other famous schools.
3. St. Pauls Cathedral.
St. Pauls Cathedral is the citys greatest monument. It was built by Sir Christopher Wren in 16751710. Wren is buried there, also Wellington and Nelson.
Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is an official residence of the Queen and her family. It isnt open to the public.
When the Queen is in residence the Royal Standard flies over the east front of Buckingham Palace. It has 600 rooms, a swimming pool, a cinema, a ballroom, and a garden, which is like a private park. In summer the Queen gives three garden parties for about 9,000 guests. The ceremony of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a great tourist attraction. It takes place daily at 11.30 a.m. and lasts half an hour. To the sound of music, the guardsmen arrive and pass the palace keys to another group.
The Houses of Parliament.
The Houses of Parliament was a royal palace. Now its the seat of the British Government. In 1834 it was destroyed by the fire. The new building was built in 1852. It contains 500 apartments.
Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey is a symbol of English tradition. The coronation of nearly all English kings and queens since William the Conqueror has taken place here. Many of them are buried within the Abbey. There are also the graves of famous poets, writers, and statesmen. Here you can see memorials to Newton, Darwin, Dickens, Chaucer and others.
The Tower of London.
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The Tower of London is a very old building. It is nine hundred years old. In the early days of England the English kings lived in the Tower. Then it was a prison where many people died. Black ravens had much food near the walls f the Tower in those days. Black ravens live outside the Tower now. The English people like them very much. Now its a museum housing the National Collection of Armour and Royal Regalia. Many tourists from other countries come to see it. They see the dark stone halls with small windows and thick doors. The Tower is still guarded by the famous Beefeaters who wear a traditional Sixteenth century uniform.
Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge is the only Thames bridge which can be raised. The road over the bridge is built on two central sections, they open 3 times a week to let ships through.
The British Museum.
The British Museum has one of the largest libraries in the world. There are more than 6 million books in the library. At present the library has modern electronic equipment.
Piccadilly Circus.
Piccadilly Circus is a square in the central part of London. In the square you can see people of many nationalities. Piccadilly Circus is the meeting-point of 6 streets. Londons famous restaurants and best- known theatres and cinemas are on Piccadilly Circus.
Hyde Park.
Hyde Park is the largest park in the West End of London. In the 19th century it became a popular place for public meetings. The park has Speakers Corner where anyone can make a speech about anything they want. It is a very democratic park.
BigBen.
Big Ben is one of the most famous clocks in the world. Big Ben is really a bell. You hear it every hour. It is a big bell. It weighs 13,720 kilograms.
