LONDON 1. London is where the invading Romans first crossed the River Thames. They built a city a square mile in size, surrounded it with a wall and called it Londinium. This original site of London is now called the City of London 1 and is Britain’s main financial centre. 2. The City is only a very small part of London. In the eleventh century London began to expand beyond the City walls when King Edward the Confessor 2 built a huge abbey at Westminster. Even today, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, as well as the shops, cafes, theatres and cinemas of the West End, are in the City of Westminster and not in the City of London. 3. The saying “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life” (Dr. Johnson) is a cliche, but you can’t be bored 3 in London. There are hundreds of historic buildings, galleries and museums. There are parks and street markets, over 80 theatres and even more cinemas. 4. If you want to discover London, it is best to start with a tour on a sightseeing bus. It is also fun to go on a guided walk. The walks last up to three hours. 5. The centre of London has many different areas. Each one has its own special character. Covent Garden 4 in London West End, is crowded with cafes, clubs and clothes shops. Soho 4 is also known for its clubs. Knightsbridge 4 has a lot of exclusive and expensive shops, as well as many of the embassies. Fleet Street 4 is the home of Law Courts. One part of the West End has so many Chinese shops and restaurants that is called Chinatown. 6. When you go outside the centre you find many areas which used to be small villages. The villages became part of the city when they expanded but they still managed to keep their village character. Hampstead 4 , the best known of the villages, is extremely expensive. Пояснения к тексту: 1. Сити 2. король Эдвард 3. зд. – не заскучаешь 4. названия 7. Прочитайте 5-й абзац текста и письменно ответьте на вопрос: What is called Chinatown?