Which piece of information is not in the text? Can you provide it?

Task 2. Find the following numbers in the text. What do they refer to?

40 43

17 2000

2012 9 12 million

Text 3. Alternative London

Task 1. Read the descriptions of the places. Which place sounds the most interesting to visit? Why?

1. Parliament Hill

When you walk up Parliament Hill, you feel as if you are far from the crowds and noise of the city. Your reward when you get to the top – a breathtaking view of central London.

2. Hampstead

A district in the north of London. It is only five miles from the city center but it is famous for its quiet, village atmosphere. It is the home of many actors, writers, and rock musicians.

3. Camden Lock

One of the liveliest parts of London. Young people come here from all over the world to buy unusual clothes and records, listen to music or even get a piercing or tattoo.

4. Southall

In the west of London, many people call it “the Little Punjab”. When you walk down the busy streets full of exotic smells and colours, or see the beautiful Gurdwara (Sikh temple), you can really believe you are in India.

5. Soho

Not far from the tourist attractions of Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus is Soho. The district has an exotic atmosphere with many alternative bars and cafes. It is also the center of the UK music industry, so it is a good place to go shopping for CDs.

6. Whitechapel

A few years ago this was a poor district of East London. Now it is a fashionable place to work or go out clubbing. Many young artists have their studios here and it is the techno capital of the UK.

7. Greenwich

Across the river from the commercial skyscrapers in the Docklands is historic Greenwich. The district has many handsome old buildings, the famous observatory from where we calculate all the world’s time zones, interesting walks along the Thames and wonderful views of the city.

Text 4. The London Eye

Task 1. Quickly read the guidebook extract about the London Eye and answer the questions.

1. How high is the London Eye?

2. How far can you see on a clear day?

3. How many capsules are there?

4. How many passengers are there in each capsule?

5. How long is the trip?

6. How fast does it move?

7. What time does it open / close? In the summer

In the winter

8. Can you get tickets on the day you want to go?

9. Where is the ticket office?

10. Which underground station is near the London Eye?

The London Eye

The London Eye was opened on New Year’s Eve 1999 to celebrate the Millennium. It is 135 meters high, and from the top you can see all of London. On a clear day you can even see Windsor Castle, which is 40 kilometers away. The London Eye has 32 capsules, each with room for 25 people. Each “trip” lasts 30 minutes. It moves quite slowly, at a speed of about 15 meters a minute, but it never stops. Passengers have to get on when it’s moving.

Opening times Daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the summer and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the winter.

Tickets In advance online or by phone. A limited number of tickets are available on the day from the Ticket Office in Country Hall (the building next to the Eye), but go early because you often have to queue.

How to get there 5 minutes’ walk from Waterloo underground station

Task 2. Match the highlighted words and expressions with their meanings.

1 ______________ before you go

2 _____________ you can buy them

3 _____________ every day

4 _____________ to wait in a line

5 _____________ space (for people or things)

6 _____________ people who are travelling

Text 5. The Monarchy

Memorable Monarchs

Today’s royal family, the Windsors, have a family tree that goes back to the eleventh century. The function of the monarchy has changed much over the past 300 years – today Britain is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the government rules the country in the Queen’s name. There is even a debate about whether Britain now needs its monarchy. However, there is no doubt that Britain’s kings and queens have had a huge influence on British history and identity. Here are three particularly memorable monarchs.

Edward VIII

As Prince of Wales, Edward fought during World War I. He was worried by the revolutions at the end of the war when Germany and Russia lost their kings. Edward realized that the monarchy had to be close to the nation to survive. During the economic crisis of the 1930s he worked to help the unemployed. When he finally became king in 1936, he was perhaps the most popular monarch in British history. But he was also in love with an American woman, Wallis Simpson, who was still married. The government presented Edward with an ultimatum – either the throne or Mrs Simpson. On December II 1936 Edward shocked the nation by telling them that he had abdicated. He had been king for less than eleven months. Edward married Mrs Simpson in 1937 and the couple spent the rest of their lives abroad.

Elizabeth I

When Elizabeth became Queen in 1558, England was a weak, divided country. But during the 45 years she was in power, Elizabeth brought her nation together and England’s position became stronger. It was a golden age – the age of Shakespeare and the voyages of discovery. Elizabeth was not a beautiful woman – she started going bald when she was quite young – but she had a magnetic personality and chose talented men to be her ministers. She once said that although she had the body of a woman, she had the heart and stomach of a king. Elizabeth never married – she used to say that her love affair was with the nation.

George IV

The beginning of the 19^th century was an exciting time in Britain. Industry was growing and every year brought new technological innovations. There was a revolution in the arts too – this was the era of the Romantic poets and writers. It’s a pity that one of the most hopeless kings in British history sat on the throne at the time. During the decade he ruled, he became famous for spending public money to support his expensive habits. He often didn’t get up until six in the evening and was so large that he needed five men and a special ladder to help him get onto his horse. In fact, his reputation was so awful that British people booed and laughed at him when he appeared in public.

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

Which monarch:

1. lived in the 20^th century?

2. was on the throne at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution?

3. lived at the same time as Shakespeare?

Task 2. Read the sentences and match them with a monarch from the text.

1. He/She spent a lot of money on himself/herself. ________________________

2. He/She was in power for a long time. ______________________________

3. He/She decided that love was more important than power. _____________

4. He/She worried about the future of the monarchy. ____________________

5. He/She was very unpopular with the British people. __________________

6. He/She was good at choosing government ministers. __________________

Task 3. Which words do you think best describe each monarch?

Choose from the list: respected, irresponsible, unpopular, strong, romantic, intelligent, lazy, caring, brave, honourable, pathetic, intriguing, loyal, popular, infamous.

Elizabeth I ________________________________________________________

George IV _________________________________________________________

Edward VIII _____________________________________________________

UNIT 3

FAMOUS PERSONALITIES

1. FAMOUS ENGLISHMEN

Text A. Agatha Christie

Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie is possibly the world’s most famous detective story writer. She wrote 79 novels and several plays. Her sales outnumber those of William Shakespeare. However, behind her 4,680,000 words was a painfully shy woman whose life was often lonely and unhappy. She was born in 1890 in Devon, the third child of Clarissa and Frederick Miller, and grew into a beautiful and sensitive girl with waist-length golden hair. She didn’t go to school but was educated at home by her mother. Her father died when she was 11 and both she and her mother were grief-stricken. During World War 1, while she was working in a hospital dispensary, she learned about chemicals and poisons, which proved to be very useful to her in her later career. She wrote her first detective novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920. In it she introduced Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who appeared in many subsequent novels. Her other main detective was an elderly spinster called Miss Marple.