Name _Suleac Nadejda
Gr. EG11Z
I. Read the following text and answer the questions:
London
London is a famous and historic city. It is the capital of England in the United Kingdom. The city is
quite popular for international tourism because London is home to one of the oldest-standing
monarchies in the western hemisphere. Some foreigners recently traveled to London. They were
very excited for their trip because this was their first journey overseas from the United States.
Among the popular sights that they visited are Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye.
Big Ben is one of London's most famous monuments. It is a large clock tower located at the northern
end of Westminster Palace. The clock tower is 96 meters tall. Unfortunately, they were only able to
view the tower from the outside. The women learned that the tower's interior is undergoing
renovations until 2021.
Fortunately, the London Eye, the city's famous Ferris wheel, was open to the public. The London
Eye is situated along the southern shores of the Thames River. This attraction stands 135 meters
high. It is one of London's most well-known spots for gaining aerial views of the city. Each capsule
of the Ferris wheel can hold up to 25 passengers. When their capsule stopped at the top of the Ferris
wheel, the women took spectacular panoramic photographs of the beautiful cityscape below.
The last place that these tourists visited was Buckingham Palace, the home of the Queen of England.
The women were impressed by the palace's incredible architecture and historical value. Both of
them enjoyed watching the Queen's guards outside the palace. These guards wore red tunic
uniforms, shiny black boots, and bearskin hats. Despite the women's attempts to catch the attention
of the guards, the guards are specifically trained to avoid distractions. Because of this, the guards
ignored the women completely.
Did you understand the text? Underline the correct answer:
1) All of the following are true about London except:
It is the capital city of England.
It was initially its own country.
It is home to the Queen of England.
It borders the Thames River to the south.
2) Why were the women excited with their trip?
Their parents recently moved to London.
They love tasting international cuisine.
They had never before traveled internationally.
They looked forward to spending time on the beach.
3) Why couldn’t the women climb Big Ben?
To climb the tower requires complicated equipment.
They did not bring enough money with them.
They are afraid of heights.
The clock tower is closed for renovations.
4) From where did the women receive great overhead views of the city?
Big Ben.
The London Eye.
Buckingham Palace.
The River Thames.
5) Which is not a characteristic of the Queen's guards?
Short attention spans
Shiny black boots.
Bearskin hats.
Red tunics.
6) Because of their trip to London, the women:
Want to move there permanently.
Were inspired to become photographers.
Decided to travel internationally more often.
Would prefer to never return.
II. Find out more about the British archaeology:
Britain has many fascinating archaeological sites. There are prehistoric sites, like
Stonehenge; Roman constructions, like Hadrian's Wall; and Viking sites, like the city of York.
ROMAN SITES. In 43 AD, the Romans invaded the British Isles. They called their new
territory Britannia. The Roman presence continued until 410. Some sites are in ruins, and others
haven't been found yet, but many Roman constructions - and words or names - are part of today's
Britain!
VIKING SITES. In 800, Viking pirates from Scandinavia raided monasteries and villages.
They continued to attack northern England and Scotland until 1066, when Britain was invaded by
William the Conqueror, from Normandy, who was a descendant of Vikings!
MODERN CITIES. Many modern British cities have Roman origins.
Can you match these modern city names to the Roman ones?
1. Dover a.Londinium
2. Bath b. Dubris
3. Manchester c. AquaeSulis
4. York d. Mamucium
5. London e. Eburacum
III.The Romans were great architects, engineers and builders. Match these constructions
to what the Romans used them for.
* temples* amphitheatres * baths * aqueducts * forts / walls
1. carry water across the country = walls
2. defend their territory = forts
3. worship gods = temples
4. wash and meet people = baths
5. present tragedies and comedies = amphitheatres
MONEY QUIZ
1. Can you spend euros in Britain?
Yes, you can spend euros in Britain, but only in the biggest cities, especially London, where
there are many tourists coming from different contries and different currencies.
2. What currency (money) do they use in Britain?
The official currency of the UK is the pound sterling.
3. How much is a tenner worth?
A tenner worth is ten pound sterling.
4. Whose portrait is on all coins?
On all coins is the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
5. How many pence are there in a pound?
There are 100 pence in a pound
FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY: When a British person says, “I need to spend a
penny”, they need to use the toilet. That’s because in the past, you had to pay one penny to use
a public toilet or “loo”.
IV. Watch the videos about London nowadays:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFRR0zC70-0&t=11s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGRYhHduX8o
V. Summarize the main points from the videos:
1. London is a capital city of England and the UK. The most popular place between tourists is
London Eye or Millenium Wheel. London Eye was opened to mark the end of the 20 th
century and the beginning of the new millennium. The next famous place is Big Ben, the
clock tower, situated opposite to London Eye. Next to Big Ben is situated House of
Parliament or Palace of Westminster. There are also known London’s Parks, where you can
walk, run, relax, but not cycle, only police can do that. In Regent’s Parks there is the largest
area for sports and an Open Air Theatre. Another ecological way of keeping order are horses.
The National Gallery art museum is situated in the Trafalgar Square. Nelson’s column is
another famous monument is situated in Great Russell Street. The new Millenium Bridge
direct you to the Tate Modern museum, that is a converted old power station. On the another
side of the Millenium Bridge is St. Paul’s Cathedral. Another feature of London is the
Changing of the Guard. Another known bridge is the Tower Bridge, that is opens for big
boats. London have many interesting place to visit.
2. The most popular icon in London are taxis, called cabs and the driver is called a “cabbie” or
“ cab driver”, they are usually black. Cycling around London is healthy but a bit dangerous.
Traditional red double-decker busses can give you a good view of the city, but they can be a
bit slow in the morning or evening traffic. There is always an underground or Tube Stattion.
