Матеріали урока London's Big Ben

London's Big Ben

The Houses of Parliament's iconic clock tower is one of London's most famous landmarks. Don't leave London without visiting Big Ben! It is one of London’s most famous landmarks.

The Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben, are among London's most iconic landmarks.  Big Ben is actually the name of the huge bell which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg).  , but most people use it to refer to the clock and the tower as well. The clock tower looks spectacular at night when the four clock faces are illuminated.

The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. In 1844, it was decided the new buildings for the Houses of Parliament should include a tower and a clock. The clock tower was built between 1843 and 1858 and is 316 feet high and it is part of the Palace of Westminster. Although the public is not allowed inside, there are great views from the nearby London Eye.

Big Ben was probably named for the Commissioner of Works, Benjamin Hall, a man well known for his large size. The clock tower has featured in dozens of movies, including Shanghai Knights and the 1978 version of The 39 Steps. Both films feature an exciting climax with the hero hanging from the clock hands.

Big Ben Facts

• The bell is just over seven feet tall, and weights about the same as an elephant. When it was cast in 1858, it took two weeks for the bell to cool down.
• Each dial is seven metres in diameter.
• The minute hand on Big Ben weight about 220 pounds and is just over 12 feet long. Every year, the hand travels the equivalent of about 118 miles.
• The minute hands are 4.2 metres long and weigh about 100kg (including counterweights)
• The numbers are approximately 60cm long
• There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial
• A special light above the clock faces is illuminated when parliament is in session
• Big Ben's timekeeping is strictly regulated by a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum. 
• Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.
• The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day. Big Ben’s chimes have been famous for over 150 years. During World War 2, the sound of the chimes being broadcast told the world that Britain had not been defeated.
• The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First
• In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.  
• A Big Ben LEGO set has been produced. Part of the LEGO Architecture series, the set has over 340 pieces.

Name the following parts

What are these things?

1. The bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament: ________________________
2. A giant wheel on the bank of the River Thames: ________________________
3. A bridge across the River Thames which can be raised to allow ships to pass through: _________________
4. A very big church in London which is one of the most famous buildings in Britain: ____________________
5. The official home of the British royal family: ___________
6. A very famous building on the bank of the River Thames. It used to be a prison. Now, you can see the Crown Jewels here: ___________________
7. A museum in London. You can see wax figures of famous people here: ____________________
8. This area used to be London’s main market. You can see street performers here: ____________________
9. A mean of public transport in London. It has two floors: __________________
10. It is a part of London transport with 11 lines and its popular name is the Tube: ______________________________