London's Attractions (Reading)

London's Attractions

London is not only the political, financial and manufacturing centre of Great Britain. It is the main tourist attraction of the country, too. London's many places of interest attract thousands of tourists every year. Tourists usually want to see Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London.

Westminster is now the political centre of London. In the 11th century king Edward the Confessor decided to build a great abbey church there. Now there are royal tombs in the Abbey, as well as memorials to Britain's famous people, including memorials to writers, poets and musicians in the Poets' Corner. William the Conqueror was crowned there, and since then all the coronations have been held in the Abbey. The Palace of Westminster was built, too, during the reign of Edward the Confessor. It was the royal residence and the country's main court. The Parliament met there since the 16th till the 19th century. The present Houses of Parliament were built after the fire in the Palace of Westminster in 1834. St. Stephen's Tower of the Houses of Parliament contains the famous Big Ben.

St. Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece built from 1675 to 1709. It is crowned with a huge dome; inside the dome there is the famous Whispering Gallery. Inside the cathedral there are many memorials, including memorials to Wellington and Nelson. The Tower of London is associated with many important events in British history. It used to be a fortress, a palace and a prison famous for its prisoners (like Sir Thomas More and Guy Fawkes). The Tower is guarded by 'Beefeaters', the Yeomen guards.

The city is rich in other artistic and cultural activities. It has several world-class orchestras, a well-known opera house, performance halls, and clubs.

New words:

Manufacturing – промисловий

Confessor – cповідник

Memorial – пам’ятник

Poets' Corner – куточок поетів

Conqueror – завойовник

To be crowned – бути коронованим

Reign – царювання

Court - суд