London is a capital of the United Kingdom, its economic, political and cultural centre. London has been a capital for nearly a thousand years. Many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of them are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Pauls Cathedral.
London is home for the headquarters of all government departments, Parliament, the major legal institutions and the monarch. It is the countrys business and banking centre and the centre of its transport network. It contains the headquarters of the national television networks and of all the national newspapers.
Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich mans world of shops, offices and theatres. The City of London is the district where most offices and banks are concentrated; the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England are here, too. The East End is the district where mostly working people live. The old port area is now called Docklands. There are now new office buildings in Docklands, and thousands of new flats and houses.
Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. In the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens you will think that you are in the country, miles away.
Exercise 25. Answer the questions:
1. What part does London play in the life of the UK?
2. What are the most famous ancient buildings of London?
3. What are different districts of London famous for?
4. Is the East End the district where mostly working people live?
5. What has London except concrete buildings?
6. Different areas of London seem like different cities, dont they?
7. How is old port area called?
Exercise 26. Translate into English:
1. , , .
2. , , , , .
3. , , .
4. , , .
5. - .
6. , , .
7. - .
Exercise 27. Find Russian equivalents and make sentences of your own.
Ancient building, a rich mans world of shops, to be concentrated, port area, concrete buildings, flowers and grass.
Canberra
capital city -
location -
court -
agency -
to derive -
to cover -
bushland ,
scrubland
suburb -
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest city. The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities.
|
|
|
As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Library of Australia.
The word "Canberra" is derived from the word Kanbarra meaning "meeting place" in the old Ngunnawal language of the local Ngabri people.
Canberra covers an area of 814.2 square kilometers and is located near the Brindabella Ranges. It has an elevation of approximately 580 meters; the highest point is Mount Majura at 888 meters. Other large hills include Mount Taylor, Mount Ainslie, Mount Mugga Mugga and Black Mountain. The surrounding bushland and the original bushland that Canberra was built in is a mixture of eucalyptus savanna, open grassland, scrubland, swamp and dry eucalyptus forests.
Canberra has a relatively dry continental climate with warm to hot summers and with cool to cold winters.
Canberra is a planned city that was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a major 20th century American architect. The city is laid out on two perpendicular axes: a water axis stretching along Lake Burley Griffin, and a ceremonial land axis stretching from Parliament House on Capital Hill.
The urban areas of Canberra are organized into a hierarchy of districts, town centres, group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages. There are seven residential districts, each of which is divided into smaller suburbs, and most of which have a town centre which is the focus of commercial and social activities.
Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library, the National Archives, the Australian Academy of Science and the National Museum. Many Commonwealth government buildings in Canberra are open to the public, including Parliament House, the High Court and the Royal Australian Mint.
Exercise 28. Answer the questions:
1.What is the capital of Australia?
2.When was the location of Canberra selected?
3.Is Canberra unusual among Australian cities?
4.Canberra is the site of Parliament House, isnt it?
5.What is the word "Canberra" derived from?
6.What area does Canberra cover?
7.How are the urban areas of Canberra organized?
8.How many residential districts are there in Canberra?
9.Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions, isnt it?
