Part 5 - London (top places to visit & see)
Buckingham Palace ( built in 1703) – the most famous palace in the world. It is the office and London residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip. The Royal Family occupies the north wing and the Royal Standard (flag) is flown when the Queen is in residence.
Westminster Abbey – a large church in London. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site of English and later British monarchs since 1066.
The Tower of London is one of the world’s most famous fortresses, constructed over 900 years ago by William the Conqueror, has been a citadel, prison, royal palace, seat of government and even a zoo. Here the bloodiest events in English history took place – kings, queens, princes were tortured, beheaded, murdered or imprisoned. The Tower is also home to her Majesty’s Crown Jewels, on display for visitors to see. The guards at the Tower are called Yeomen Warders (Beefeaters).
Tower Bridge – London’s most famous bridge. It is a combined bascule and suspension bridge, over the River Thames, close to the Tower of London. Two Gothic-style towers house the machinery which lifts the roadway in 1,5 minutes.
Big Ben – is an enormous bell housed in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. It was designed in 1859 and took 13 years to complete. The name is claimed to be a tribute to Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the installation.
The Houses of Parliament – is the seat of Britain’s two parliament houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. This is where the MPs (Members of Parliament) work.
The London Eye ( 135-metre /443-feet tall) – the world’s highest observation wheel which gives a panoramic view of London. This giant Ferris wheel is situated on the banks of the River Thames. It was opened to public in 2000.
St. Paul’s Cathedral - the spiritual centre of the city. The great dome, 34 metre in diameter, is decorated with the scenes from the life of St. Paul. The cathedral has been the scene of many great events from the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
Trafalgar Square - a public space and tourist attraction. At the centre is Nelson’s Column , guarded by 4 lion statues. The square commemorates Admiral Nelson’s famous naval victory at Trafalgar (1805) of the Napoleonic Wars. Now the square is used for political demonstrations and gatherings, such as the celebration of New Years Eve.
Piccadilly Circus is an important meeting point. At its heart is a fountain with a figure known as Eros (the pagan god of love). The square is surrounded by large cinema complexes and famous neon signs on the buildings.
10 Downing Street , known as “Number 10” – is the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister (now David Cameron since 2010).
Madame Tussauds – a wax museum which displays waxworks of historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and famous murderers.
The British Museum – one of the largest museums in the world, situated in London. It is the museum of human history and culture.
Natural History Museum – is home to life and earth science specimens. It is famous for its exhibition of dinosaur skeletons.
Covent Garden - a district in London, a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House known as “Covent Garden”
Greenwich – a district of south-east London, famous for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time . The Royal Observatory Greenwich is known as the location of the Prime Meridian.
Harrods – the world’s most famous luxury department store located in London. It claims that it can supply anything to anyone anywhere.
Hyde Park – is one of the largest parks in London, famous for its Speaker’s Corner
Double-deckers – two-deck buses popular in London.
Vocabulary
Her Majesty - jej wysoko ść
Beheaded - ści ęty
Imprisoned - uwi ęziony
Crown Jewels - klejnoty koronne
On display - na wystawie/tu: wystawiane
Guards - stra żnicy
Bascule and suspension bridge – most zwodzony
Tribute - hołd
Supervised - nadzorowany
The House of Lords – Izba Lordów
The House of Commons – Izba Gmin
Members of Parliament – członkowie parlamentu
Wheel - koło
Diameter - średnica
Funeral - pogrzeb
Wedding - ślub
Commemorate – upami ętni ć
Gatherings - zgromadzenia
Burial site – miejsce pochówku
Pagan god - poga ński bóg
Wax - wosk
Maritime - morski
Meridian - południk
Specimens - gatunki
Deck – pokład