Getting about London

What is London?

We can say that it is one of the largest cities in the world, that it is one of the world's most important ports and that it is the capital of Great Britain.

But all these answers do not give any idea of London.

London is more than two thousand and five hundred years old. About seven million people live there. There are more than 10 thousand streets in London.

Most of the streets are not very wide and most of the buildings are not tall, but multistoried buildings have also appeared in London and almost all of them are hotels and offices.

London Underground (or Tube) is the oldest and longest in Europe. There are eleven different lines with more than 500 stations.

Although London is a crowded and noisy city you can find many pleasant parks and green squares there.

Regent's Park is the most beautiful park and Hyde Park is the largest, it is one of the most popular places of rest of Londoners on hot summer days.

There are three main parts in London: the City, the West End and the East End.

The oldest part of London is the City, the business centre. But the political centre is Westminster, which is in the West End.

The West End is famous for its rich shops, hotels, restau­rants, cinemas, museums and other places of interest. Only rich people live there.

The East End is another part of London. Many houses there are poor and many streets are narrow and dirty.

The East End is famous for its docks but they have closed. Now people are building houses there. Already there are offices, shops and restaurants, a cinema and a large hotel for a modern traveller. By 2000 there will be a sports centre, a shopping centre, an airport and many other new buildings.

There is so much to see in London that even Londoners can always find new sights. They like to say:

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

III. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the capital of Great Britain?

2. How old is London?

3. What can you say about London streets?

4. How many stations are there in London Underground?

5. Are there any parks and squares in London?

6. What part is the business center?

7. What can you say about the West End and the East End?

8. Why do Londoners like to say: "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life?"

IV. Give your idea of London.

I. Read and translate the following speech patterns and memorize them: