SIGHTS OF LONDON (a guide book) Form 5 B Gorskikh Vlad Romashin Nikita Lyceum № 4

The object of research: London is one of the most famous and interesting cities in Europe. We’d like to learn more about the most popular sights of London. Aim: To acquaint our classmates with places of interest in London and to make a guide book for them. Tasks: To improve cultural awareness of students, to perfect their knowledge about sights of London.

LONDON London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a very old city. It was founded about two thousand years ago. London is one of the most famous and interesting cities in Europe. It is famous for its places of interest. There are lots of museums, historical buildings, ancient cathedrals and monuments. Every year thousands of tourists come to London.

THE TOWER OF LONDON You can see the Tower of London from the River Thames. The Tower is very old. It has a long and cruel history. It was a fortress, a royal palace, a prison and the King’s Zoo. Today it is a museum. Special guards look after the Tower and take care of the black ravens that live there. People believe that London will be rich while the ravens live there.

BIG BEN Tourists in London always visit Westminster and Big Ben. They want to see the clock in its tower and hear the bell. Big Ben is really a bell. The bell is over two meters tall and chimes every quarter of an hour.The clock and the bell got the names after Sir Benjamin Hall.

THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT The famous bell Big Ben stands near the Houses of Parliament. The country’s leaders speak in the Houses of Parliament. The men and women there are voice of the British people. The Houses of Parliament stand beside the River Thames. You can also see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from Westminster Bridge.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY Standing not far from the Houses of Parliament Westminster Abbey is a symbol of England. The legend says that St. Peter founded Westminster Abbey. We know that Westminster Abbey was built by King Edward in 1065. Some famous English people are buried here. Today Westminster Abbey is a working church and a great monument to the history of England.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE Buckingham palace is the official residence of the Queen. Buckingham Palace was built in 1705 for Duke I of Buckingham. It is a symbol and home of the British monarchy. The Queen Victoria Memorial is in front of it. It takes you ten minutes to get from this building to Trafalgar Square, the centre of London.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE They say it is the most beautiful place in London. There is a monument to Admiral Nelson in the middle of it. It is called Nelson’s Column. The monument includes four bronze lions. There are two fountains in it.

LONDON EYE London Eye is a giant wheel which is situated on the bank of the River Thames. The London Eye is 135 meters high and turns very slowly. There are 32 comfortable capsules for people to stand in. It carries 15,000 people a day.

MADAME TUSSAUD`s It is one of the most unusual sights of London. It`s the famous waxworks museum, which has one of the largest collections of wax models in the world. It was founded in 1830. Here you can «meet» famous people. Actors, film stars, pop singers, sportsmen, writers, poets and scientists come face-to-face with famous politicians. You can even take photos with them.

SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM This museum is at Baker Street. It is a place where Holmes and Watson lived in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle`s famous books. The rooms in the museum are kept exactly as in the books. Visitors can sit in Mr. Holmes`s armchair, hold his pipe and see his violin and his chemistry equipment. They can also visit Dr. Watson`s bedroom and Mrs. Hudson`s room.

PARKS AND GARDENS London is very rich in parks and gardens. You can spend the whole day in the country without leaving London. London's parks are full of trees, grass, flowers, ponds and small lakes. You can walk among the green trees, relax and admire beautiful flowers and plants or take part in many activities, such as tennis, swimming and horse-riding.

HYDE PARK It is one of the most popular places of London on hot summer days. It was created in 1536. Hyde Park is famous for its outdoor entertainments and its Speaker’s Corner.

REGENT’s PARK You can also visit Regent’s park where you will find London Zoo, a boating lake and an open air theatre, where in summer you can enjoy Shakespeare’s plays.

ST. JAMES’s PARK It is the oldest park of London. The park is very beautiful with its trees and flowerbeds and view of Buckingham Palace. You can watch and admire nice pelicans there. They were brought from Russia in 1664.

KENSINGTON GARDENS It is a large public park. Its main attraction is the Kensington Palace. The statue of famous fairytale hero Peter Pan is another popular monument in Kensington Gardens.

Welcome to London!