LondonLONDON
wide rivera small village, a new country ... “We ean
make town here said the Romans, and so Londiniam
began. Too thousand years ater, hat village is London,
the biggest city in Britain, and millins of people vse it
very year
‘What brings them here? Some come to see the beautiful
buildings and che great parades of Britain's royal family:
Others like co walk along the River Thames, and
heough che green parks and gardens of this eres city
‘And London is ull of wonderful buildings, old and nes,
cach with ts own story
People come in their thousands for the sport —to watch
tennis at Wimbledon, football at Wembley, crckee at
Lords, oF o run in the London Marathon, Then there's
shopping in Oxford Street, and the theatres of London's
‘West End, and concests ~ oh, there are hundreds of
reasons to visit London,
CCan'e wait? Then come with us now; and get to know
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CONTENTS
Agreat city
Royal London
“The City and the Tower of London
Whitehall and Westminster
By the river
Parks and gardens
‘More museums and galleries
‘Theatres, music, and sport
Shopping and eating
Traveling
-scrivirts Before Reading
acrivmes: While Reading
scrivimes: After Reading
a
as
8
2
8A great city
‘Two thousand years ago, London was a small village by
the River Thames. Then the Romans came and bul
town, and chousands of people lived there. Now in the
twenty-first century, London i the bigest city in Britain,
with more than seven million people. It isthe capital city
of the United Kingdom, the home of Queen Elizabeth the
Second, and the home of the British government. Millions
of visitors come to London every year
The name ‘London’ comes from the Romans. People
lived here before the Romans came, but we do not know
ad in
om the
very much about them. The Romans came to Eng
the year 43. Their ships came up the River Tham
sea, and they built houses and other buildings next to the
ct,and they called the
rivet. They buile abridge over the
town Londinium. You can find out about London's early
days, and about the Romans, at the Museum of London,
Te was a rich town, and about 50,000 people lived in it
1, the Romans left Londinium
But soon after the y
and went back to Rome, and for three hundred years
London was a quiet place. Then people began to livein the
town again, and it was soon rich and important. People
called Angles, Saxon:
and Jutes came to Britain from
Germany, Holland, and Denmark. Then, in the ninth and
tenth centuries, Danish ships came up the River Thames
and destroyed many of Londinium’s buildings.2 London
In 1066, England had a new king ~ William the
Conqueror from France. William came to live in London
and built a castle there (today we know it as the Tower
of London}. London was now the biggest and most
important city in England, and i got bigger and bigger
In 1509, when Henry the Eighth was king, there were
50,000 people in London. In 1600, when Fienry’s daughter
Elizabeth the Fitst was queen, there were 200,000 people
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William's caste - the Tower of London
“The Great Fire of London in 1666
The plague often came to London, bur 1665 was the
worst year of all. In the hot summer that year thousands
Cf people were ill, and 100,000 of them died. 1665 was
called the Year of the Great Plague. Then a year later, in
1666, there was a big fire - the Great Fire of London. It
began in a house in Pudding Lane, near London Bridge
‘Most houses were built of wood ar that time, and fires
love wood. The Great Fire of London went through street
after street after street, and it did not stop for four days.StPauts Cathedrat
More than a quarter of 2 million people lost their
homes in the fie. Ie destroyed St Paul's Cathedral and
cighty-cight other ehurches. But ic also destroyed most of
the worst old buildings. A new St Paul's Cathedral was
built beeween 1675 and 1711
In the eight
important countries in the world, and London was ies
most important
oth century, Britain was one of the most
+x Some Londoners were very tich, and
they buile some of the most beautiful houses in the city
Many of those houses are standing today. But at the same
time, other people lived in cold, dark, wet houses
‘Many of the buildings in London today were built when
Queen Vietoria was the queen, She was the queen for
nearly sixty-four years, from 1937 when she was 18 years
‘old, © 1901 when she died. In that time, many railways,
were built, and for the first time people could travel by
A great city
‘ain, Teains were much faster than coaches and horses,
of course, and visitors came to London from all across
the country In 185% there was the Great Exhibition at
the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. More than six million
people came and saw the wonderful exhibits, In 1863, the
‘world’s first underground trains began to run in London,
berween Paddington and Farringdon, In 1881, there were
‘more than three million people in the city
Inthetwentieth century, German bombs destroyed many
buildings in the Second World War (1939-1945), But they
did not destroy St Paul's Cathedral. And now London has
some of the world’s most exciting new buildings.
Today people from all over the world live in London, and
you ean hear about 300 different languages here. It is big,
noisy and often diety — but people love to visit London.
‘The Great Exhibition atthe Crystal PalaceRoyal London
Visitors like to see the royal buildings, and sometimes you
can go inside them t00.
Buckingham Palace stands at the end of the Mall. The
Mall is a long road, and ic begins at Trafalgar Square.
About 300 people work at the palace, because it is the
Queen's home and her ‘office’, Heads of governments and
royal visitors from around the world meer the Queen here
ae
Achalf-past eleven most mornings, the soldiers change
the guard at Buckingham Palace. It takes about thirty
‘minutes, and you can stand in front of the palace and
watch. Hundreds of visitors do this every day
In August and September you can usually visit some of
the rooms in the palace, and see paintings by Vermees,
Rembrandt, and Rubens, You can also visit some of che
palace gardens.
Soldiers changing the quard
‘The Queen's Gallery is in Buckingham Palace Road.
Here you can see paintings from all over the world. Next
to this isthe Royal Mews, the home af the Queen's horses
and coaches. You can visit the Queen's Gallery and the
Royal Mews at most times of the year.
Some of the beautiful rooms of Kensington Palace in
Kensington are also open to visitors
Half an hour by train from the centre of London is,
Windsor Castle. You can visit the castle a¢ any time of
the year
Windsor CastleHampton Court
Hampton Court stands next co the River Thames in a
big park, This royal palace first opened to vistors at the
time of Queen Vietoria, You can take a train to Hampton
Court from Waterloo Station, Or in the summer months,
you can go there along the iver from Westminster Pie.
Then there are the royal parades, On the second
Saturday in June, London celebrates the Queen's birthday
with a big parade ~ the Trooping of the Colour. is not
her real birthday ~ that is in April — but the weather is
usually better in June. In the morning, she goes from
Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in one of her
coaches, Here soldiers carry the ‘colour’ (a big fag) past
the Queen. Thousands of people stand in the Mall and
watch the Queen and the soldiers go past.
The State Opening of Parliament usually happens in
November, because in November che British government
begins its work for the year. The Queen travels along the
Mall to Westminster in a wonderful coach, and more than
a hundred soldiers go along the Mall with her.
3 The City and the
Tower of London
Novernber is also the month of the Lord Mayor's Show: It
happens on the second Saturday, and Londoners ean see
their new Lond Mayor. The Mayor travels from his home
at Mansion House tothe Strand in a 200-year-old coach
The Lord Mayor is the most important person in
London after the Queen. The first Mayor of London was
Henry Fitzailwyn, in 1189. They were frst called Lord
‘Mayors in the ime of King Henry the Eighth
‘The City is
fof the Bank of England and many other big office.
dest pare of London. It is the home10 London
Only about fve thousand people live in the City, and at
the weekends the streets ate quiet. But berween Monday
and Feiday, nearly half million people go to work in the
banks and offices th
The Bank of England is more than three hundred years
old, Iris a
y famous bank, and also has an interesting
museum, with money from many different centuries.
The Tower of London is the City’s oldest building. Ie
stands by Tower Bridge, and next co the River Thames,
In the past, it was a palace and a prison. Kings (and
sometimes queens) put their most important prisoners
there, and many of these prisoners never came out alive
The Tower of London is not just one tower; it is eleven
towers in different buildings. At the centre is the White
Tower. This was built about 1078, and it was the tallest
building in London at the time. You can see the Crown
Jewels in the Jewel House, and visit the Bloody Tower
The Crown Jewels
In 1483, Edward the Fourth, the king of England, died,
He had two young sons, So, was the next king Edward's
‘older son? No, thenext king wasEdward’sbrother Richard
because Richard put Edward's owo young sons in prison in
the Tower. Nobody ever saw them again. Nearly 200 years
later, people found bones in the Tower: Pethaps they were
the bones of che king's dead sons — nobody knows.
Two other famous prisoners in the Tower were Anne
Boleyn, wife of Henry the Bighth, and mother of Queen
Elizabeth the First. Before she was queen, Elizabeth was
also a prisoner inthe Tower. Her sister, Queen Mary, put
her there
More than to million people visit the Tower every
year. There ate thiry-six Yeoman Warders, or Beefeater,
at the Tower. They tell visitors all about the Tower and its
famous people
Tower Bridge is more than 100 years old, It is one of
onclon’s most famous bridges. When tall ships go up the
river, the centre of the bridge opens. You can learn more
about the bridge at the exhibition there called the “Tower
Bridge Experience’.4 Whitehall and
Westminster
South of Tiafalgar Square isa long road called Whitehall.
‘Most of the buildings inthis road are government offices.
“There ate two soldiers on horses outside Horse Guards,
Parade, Walk down the road to Parliament Square, and
you go past Downing Street. It is not a long street. The
Prime Minister ~ the head of the British Government —
lives at 10 Downing Street.
In 1682, Sir George Downing built the street of houses
near Whitehall Ps
today, but they are very different now. King George the
Second gave Number 10 to Sir Robert Walpole in 1735,
and British Prime Ministers began to live in 10 Downing
Streot from chat time.
There a
only four houses here
The dome in St Paul's Cathedral
Se Paul's Cathedral is in the centre of the City Its dome
is 110 metres high, and itis the second biggest dome in the
world, after Se Peters in Rome.
The two bells in the tower are called Great Paul and
Great Tom. Great Paul is the biggest bell in the United
Kingdom, Great Tom rings every hour, and it also rings
‘when a king or queen dies.
Also in the City is a building 60 merres high, called The
Monument. Ieis near Pudding Lane, and was built because
people wanted to remember the Great Fite of 1666,
LONLLLLLLE 7 CCCCee
After Whitehall comes P
I. Churchill16 London
Big Ben, but really Big Ben is che bell in the elock. You can
hear Big Ben ring every hour, Four smaller bells ring on
the quarter hours,
In 1605 there was a man called Guy Fawkes. He and his
friends did not like King James or his government, and
they put a bomb under the Houses of Parliament. But
nothing happened, because soldiers found Guy Fawkes
and took him away. Now; British people celebrate this
every year on § November with big fies and fireworks,
and they often burn a figure of Guy Fawkes on the fire.
{uy Fawhos Night
By the river
You cannot sce London without a visit to the River
Thames. You can walk along the river, go across its many
bridges, or go in a boat and see London from the river
‘The first Globe Theatre was buile atthe time of Queen
Elizabeth the Fist. People watched William Shakespeare's
plays there. In 1997, a new Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
opened, next ro the River Thames. In the sum
can visit the theatze and see Shakespeare's plays. Under
the theatte is Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition. Here you
can learn more about the work of England's most famous
writer and the old and new Globe theatres.
‘The Globe Theat‘The Milennium Bridge and Tate Modern
Not far aay is Tate Modern, an art gallery with 88
rooms of twentieth and twenty-first century art. The
exhibitions change, so there is always something new.
‘There are paintings by Matisse, Picasso, Jackson Pollock,
‘Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and many more
The Millennium Bridge is London's newest bridge~ the
first for 100 years. It goes across the river from outside
Tate Moceen. When ie opened in the year 2000, hundreds
‘of people walked across it ~ and it began to move under
their feet! It was not open again for two years. People like
walking across the bridge because there are good views of
London and the river, and because there are no cars on
the bridge.
‘Then there isthe London Eye, a big wheel 135 metres
high. It was buile in 2000 and celebrates the Millenniom.
Ir never stops moving, but it moves very slowly. Visitors
travel in the capsules on the wheel for 30 minutes, and
shen the weather is good, you can see for 40 kilomerres
By the river oy
across London, There are wonderful views of Buckingham,
Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and other famous
buildings and parks in the city. Everybody loves going up
in the London Eye.
The Landon Eye
Canary Whasf opened in 1991. Ithas three towers. The
tower at One Canada Square is 240 metres high, and it is
the tallest ofice building in Britain. You can go to Canary
Wharf on the Docklands Light Railway, or take che20 London
Jubilee Line train to Canary Wharf Station. You can also
get there by boat. Visitthe shops and restaurants listen to
music or watch theatre in the street, or visit the Museum
in Docklands. In its twelve galleries you can learn about
London's docks from the time of the Romans to nov
There were bad floods in London in 1663 and 1928,
Then, in 1953, more than 300 people died in a flood near
the River Thames and in the east of England. So the
Thames Barrier was buile next to the Royal Victoria Dock,
Itopened in 1984, cost more than 400 million pounds, and
is 5320 metres long. When the sea is very high, the ten big
gates on the barrier come up and stop the water. There
is a visitor centre on the south side of the river, and you
can see a video about the baerier there. The nearest train
station is Charlton, but for the best view of the barrier
take « boat from Greenwich,
Parks and gardens
When you are tired of buildings, you can visit one of
London
Hyde Park first opened to the people of London in the
‘many beautiful parks.
seventeenth century. It is not far from the shops of busy
Oxford Street, but it is nice and quiet. You can walk or sit
under the tees. In the centres lake called the Serpentine,
and you can take a boat out on the water.
Boats onthe Serpentine in Hyde Park= - —
Diana, Princess of Wales playground
There are usually a lot of people at Speaker's Comer,
rncar Marble Arch. Some people come here be
cause they
want to tell the world important or interesting things ~
about the government, ot science, or the church, or the
end of the world. They stand at the Corner, and call out
to all the people around them. Other people stand and
listen, and sometimes laugh too.
Kensington Gardens is next 10 Hyde Park. Here you
ccan see a statue of Peter Pan, the famous boy in the book
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, There is also a playgrouind here,
called the Diana, Princess of Wales playground. Many
people want to remember Princess Diana. She lived near
here in Kensingron Palace, and the playground has lors of
exciting things for children.
Regent’s Park is the home of London Zoo. The 200
opened in 1828, and it has animals and birds from all
cover the world. There is also a theatee in the park, On
a summer's evening, you can sit out and watch a play by
Parks and gardens
_—
London Zoo
Shakespeare. Or you can see the park from the water—take
a boat along the canal from Camden Lock to Little Venice.
In the summer, you can listen to music inthe park
all I is a small pack,
Se James's Park is next co the
but very beautiful, and ie is the olde
of che royal parks.
Lots of birds live on and around the lake in che centre of
the park.
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More museums and galleries 2
More museums
and galleries
‘The British Museum in Great Russell Street is che biggest
museum in Britain, and the oldest museum in the world
It opened in 1759. There are 94 galleries (it is a four
kilometse walk through all these galleries), a reading
room, and bookshops. Ar che centre of the building is the
beautiful Great Court
The Great Court inthe British Museum
‘The Museum of London at 150 London
‘Wall opened in 1976, There you can ‘i
learn about London and its
people from its earliest times.
A the Natural History
Museum in. Cromwell
Road you can learn
all abour our world
and the people and
animals in it, You
can see the dinosaur
exhibition ~ with moving
dinosaurs ~ and many more
beautiful and interesting
shings
‘The Science Museum has more than 10,000 exhibits
Here you can learn about the science of the past, and the
science of today. I also has an IMAX cinema,
‘A much smaller museum, at 48 Doughty Street, is the
Dickens House Museum. The writer Charles Dickens
lived in this house with his family for three years, from
1837 to 1839. He wrote two of his books here ~ Oliver
Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. After Shakespeare, Dickens
is England’s next most famous writer,
Another important British writer, Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle, wrote stories about Sherlock Holmes, The clever
detective and his friend! Dr Watson are now famous all
‘over the world. The Sherlock Holmes Museum is at 221
Baker Street. The house was buile in 1815, and in the
stories Holmes lives at this address.More museums and galleries y
221b Baker Street The National Gallery
Holmes did nor really live in Baker Street, of course
but at the museum you can learn all about him,
see Holmes's hat and Dr Watson's bedroom, and many
things from the stories. And you ean sit in Holmes's chair
for a photograph
The London Transport Museum is in Covent Garden,
and cells the story of London's buses and underground
trains from the early nineteenth century: There are lots of|
ng things here; you can see films, ‘drive’ a London
bus or underground train, and hear stories about buses in
London during the Second World War,
Four million people visit the National Gallery in
Trafalgar Square every year. There ate more than 2,300
pictures here~ the earliest from the thirteenth century
Next to the National Gallery is the National Portrait
Gallery, in St Martin's Place. Here you can se
jctures of
famous people. There are faces from the past — pictures of
kings and queens, and of William Shakespeare ~ and faces
from today — from Prince William to David Beckham,Madame Tussauds
‘Tate Britain is at Millbank, past Lambeth Bridge. It is
the home of British art, from che year 1500 co today. There
are pictures by John Constable, J.M.W. Turner, and many
‘other famous names in British art.
Madame Tussauds in Marylebone Road is famous
for its wax figures. You can sce famous people from the
past and famous people of today ~ Abraham Lincoln,
Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Beyoncé, and Brad
Pitt, And in the ‘Chamber of Horrors’ you can see some
very bad people
The London Dungeon in Tooley Street is a ‘Museum
of Horror’, Half « million people visit it every year — but
some do not stay very long!
‘Museums and art galleries can be very busy, but in the
late afternoon it is often quieter. In many of the bigger
‘museums and galleries, tickers are free.
Theatres, music,
and sport
London's West End has some of the best cheatres in the
world, so tickets can be expensive, Sometimes they are
fifty pounds or more. But you can get cheaper tickets too.
Go in the afternoons tickets are often cheaper then, Or
0 to the thts shop in Leicester Square. They have cheap
the tickets are for
rickets for many theatres in London, but
that afternoon or evening. Or buy a ticket for ‘the gods’
‘This is right at che top of the theatre, and i is always the
cheapest place.
Theteis something for everybody ~plays from hundreds
of years ago, new plays by young writers, and of course
The Mousetrap. This very English play by Agatha Christie
and itis still going more chan fifty years
‘Thousands of visitors see it every year
‘The National Theatre is in the South Bank Centre by
the River Thames. Ie pened in 1976, and there are theee
different cheattes in the building, There are also five
restaurants and cafés, big hookshop, foe art exhibitions,
and free music in the evenings.
At the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden you can
hear wonderful music and singing from all over the world
For more music, go tothe Royal Albert Hall in Kensington
Gore next to Hyde Parkcee ede
a want to see Madonna, or the Red Hot
Jub
cs Ministry of Soun
are open till 2 a.m, of later. In
ting Hill, York Way, and Cl
Dancing at London club‘Agame of cricket
Cricket is a very English game. You can see it at Lord’s
Cricket Ground in St John’s Wood in North London or
the Oval near Vauxhall in South Londen.
London isthe home of some of the most famous names
in English football. Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge,
Fulham Road, SW6, and Tottenham Hotspur play at
White Hart Lane, High Road, N17.
The world’s best tennis players come to London every
June for the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
You can see them at the All England Lawn Tennis Club
in Church Road, Wimbledon, but you need to go eat.
Sometimes people wait all night for ticketst
‘The Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race began
in Henley-on-Thames in 1829. These days the race, nearly
7 kilometres long, begins in Putney and ends in Mortlake.
Ie isin March or April every year. About 250,000 people
stand beside the river or on the bridges and warch the two
fast boats,
Theatres, music, and sport a
‘The London Marathon happens on a Sunday in April
‘The runners start at Greenwich and run through the
streets of London to Westminster. Some of che world’s
best runners come to London for the race~ and thousands
of other people run for three, four, five of more hours
to finish the marathon. Today mote than half a million
people can say, ‘I finished the London Marathon.’
In 1908 and 1948 people
the world for the Olympic
me to London from all ower
ames, Now the Olympic
Games are coming to London for the third time in 2012,
Many Londoners are excited about cis,
“The London MarathonShopping and eating
You can buy nearly anything in
London, Many of the most famous
{and expensive) shops are in
Regent Street, Bond Street, and in
Knightsbridge. The most famous
shop in all of the city ~some people
say the most famous in the world
~ is Harrods, in Knightsbridge. It
began in 1849 when Henry Charles
Harrod opened a small food shop
in Brompton Road. The building in
Knightsbridge opened in 1905, and
now 4,000 people work there. Some
people go there and buy something
i] very, very small, just because they
a want the bag with the famous
“Harrods’ name on it,
(Oxford Street has many big shops ~ Selfridges, Marks
and Spencer, Debenhams. For smaller shops, go to Ci
c
Thete are lots of them, and they sell old and new books.
den, Charing Cross Road is famous for its bookshops.
Ar weekends you can visit some of London's markers.
Petticoat Lane market (open on Sundays) isin Middlesex:
Sereet, and has cheap clothes and things for the home, At
the market in Portobello Road {open on Saturdays) youFish and chips
can buy old clocks, old chairs and tables, and hundreds of
otherthings. ArBrick Lane market (open on Sundays) inthe
East End, you can buy nearly everything. Old Spitalfields
Marker in Commercial Street (open on Sundays} has some
of the latest clothes in town ~ and chey'te cheap!
When it is time for food,
London has everything.
You can have dinner in an
expensive restaurant for
hundreds of pounds or you
can buy a sandwich for not
very much atall. You can eat
in cafés or bats, you can buy
food and take i away, and of
course you can buy English
fish and chips!
London has restaurants
from nearly every country
in the world, and not all of
Atternoon tes at the Rite
Shopping and eating
them are expensive, You can find food from Italy, Mexico,
Spain, India, China, Russia, and many other countries,
‘There are hundreds of good restaurants in Piccadilly,
Soho, Leicester Square, and Covent Garden, and more in
Kensingston, Knightsbridge, and Chelse
Fora very English afternoon, goto the Ritz in Piccadilly,
or the Savoy Horel in the Strand for afternoon tea. You
can listen to music, drink tea, and eat wonderful food. But
remember to take a lot of money with you!
And do not forget about pubs, There are thousands of
pubs in London. In many pubs you can eat and drink, and
pub food is often cheap and good.Travelling
When you come to London, do not bring a cat: Take an
underground train or a bus. Or walk!
The Underground ~ also called the Tube ~is fast. The
trains go from about $ a.m, (later at weekends) to about
‘midnight. Buy your ticket before you get on the train, and
don’tloseit. You need it when you begin your journey and
when you finish ie,
Between eight o'clock and ten o'clock in the morning,
and between four o'clock and six o'clock in the evening,
thousands of people are going to and from work. This
nd evening ‘eush hour’, and you cannot
‘The London
Underground:
You can see much mare fram a bus
‘move easily on the trains and che buses. It is much nicer
and quieter when you do not travel in the rush how
You can see much more of London from the famous red
buses than from the Tube. There are buses for visitors eo;
they take you around many of the interesting places in the
city. Ie takes about one and a half hours, but you ean get
off the bus for a visitand get on again later.
Or you ean travel in one of
London's famous black taxis
(also called ‘black cabs’). Most
fof them are black but some
are blue, red, green, of white
Drivers must know all. the
25,000 streets in the centre of
London before they can drive
taxi here.Why not go by boat along the River Thames? Boats
leave Westminster Pier, Waterloo Pier, and Embankment
Pier, and they go to Tower Pier, Greenwich, and (between
April and October) Hampron
Big red buses ... Buckingham Palace ... the London Eye
Big Ben —these are only some of the things in London.
Ic isa big, beausiful, noisy, and exciting city: More than
leven million visitors come every year from countries all
‘over the world,
So, when are you coming ro London?
a
GLOSSARY
art pictures and other beautiful dhngs chat people keto look at
bbank building or business for keeping money safely
bar room where people can buy and hae drinks
bell metal ehing that males «sound wien something
touches it
boat. smal ship for teavlling on water
bomb thing that explodes and damages people or things
bbowe one ofthe hard white parts inside an animal's ora
persons boy
bridge something built high to go over river or cad
café aplace where people can buy and eat food and drink
capital (city) the most imporane city in countey
celebrate 10 enjoy yourself because you have a special season to
bbe happy
century a time of 100 years
church a building where people peay to God
clothes things you wea, eg shirts, trousers, desses
club a place where you go to dance and listen to music
coach a vehicle with four wheels hat pulled by horses
concert msc played fr lot of people
coronation the special day when a man is made king, oF a
woman is made queen
destroy when somethings destroyed itis dead and finished
(ce fire destroys a forest)
docks. a place on rivera by the sea wher ships bring people
and sings
exhibit (something peopl go ro look ate.g ina museum
orgallery
figure something made to look ike the head and body of
a person
flag. apiece of cloth with a special pactern on it every country
has a fag
flood when there i lod, lot of water covers the land2 Glossary
food what you eat
sallery_ a place where you can see paintings and oxher kinds
of an
government a group of people who contol a country
horror very great fear
horse a big animal hae can carry people and pall heavy things
king. che most impareane man in a country
‘museum a place where you can Took a od or nteresing things
‘music when you sng or play ao instrument, you make music
‘Olympic Games games held every four years fr sportspeople
from many differen counties
painting.» picture made with paine
parade line of people who ate walking together fora special
reason, while other people watch them
plague very bad illnes that makes thousands of people die
play () you goto che cheatre to see a play
prison a building for bad peoples they stay thee and
anor leave
{queen the most important woman ina country
Festaurant_ place where people can buy and eat meals
ring ().t0 make a sound like bel
royal of orabouca king or queen
Science the scudy of natural things
St. shor for “Sain, pare ofthe name ofa very good or
holy person
statue the shape of a person or an animal thats made of stone
or metal
top the highest part of something
view “what you cat se from a certain place
swat fighting benween comnris or groups of people
wax the sot stuff tha candles are made fom
London
ACTIVITIES45
ACTIVITIES
Before Reading
1 Here are six famous places. Can you match the names,
with the photos?
The White House! be Kremlin! Buckingham Palace! the
Eiffel Tower! the Houses of Parliament the Parthenon
2 How many of these places are you going to find in a
book about London? Which places are they? What do
you know about them? What other places can you name
in London, and what do you know about them?
ACTIVITIES
While Reading
Read Chapter 1, then put these sentences in the right
order.
‘The Great Fire of London destroyed alot of buildings.
1
2 William the Conqueror built a castle in London.
3 Thousands of people died in the Great Plague.
4 The world’s fest underground trains began tofu,
‘New Saint Paul's Cathedral was built
‘The Romans came to London.
People came to see the Great Exhibition
8 Elizabeth che First was queen.
9 Bombs destroyed many of London's buildings during the
Second World Was,
10 Danish ships came and destroyed many buildings.
Read Chapter 2. Are these sentences true (T) or false
(F)? Change the false sentences into true ones.
1 About 300 people work in Buckingham Palace.
2 When you visi the Royal Mews you can see the Queen's
paintings.
You can visit Windsor Castle al year round,
Hampton Court ison the River Thames.
“The big parade called the Trooping of the Colour is on
the Queen's birthday in Apeil
6 When the Queen goes to open Parliament, she rides a
‘beautifl white horse46 scrivinas: While Reading
Read Chapter 3, then citele the correct words in each
sentence.
1 The City is busy! quiet during the week.
2 The Tower of London isthe oldesttalest building in
the Citg
3 Queen Elizabeth the
the Tower of London.
4 ‘The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the biggest in
Britain| the world.
st was once a prisoner tarder in
5 Great Prul/ Tom rings when a king dies.
6 Arthe Monument people remember the year of the
Great Plague! Fre
Read Chapters 4 and 5. Choose the best question word
for these sentences, and then answer them.
Wha/ What! Why
1s lives at 10 Downing Street?
2... can you see in Parliament Square?
5... was different about the coronation in 19532
4 sis Big Ben?
5... do people do every year to remember Guy Fawkes?
6 . «wrote plays forthe fist Globe Theatre?
7 ..-can you see in Tate Modern?
8 «do people like to goon the Millennium Bridge?
3
0
1
can you do at the London Eye
is the tallest office building in Britain?
happens atthe Thames Bacrier when the sea is very
high?
acrevimes: While Reading —— a
Read Chapters 6 and 7. Then complete these sentences
swith the names of places.
1 In you can take a boat out on the
Serpentine.
People remember Diana, Princess of Wales, atthe
playground in
3 You can see animals from all over the world atthe 200 in
4 The bones of the world’s
iggest animal are inthe
5 In the Sherlock Halmes stories the famous detective lives
6 The is fll of pictures of famous peopl.
7 has paintings by Constable and Turner.
8 Half a million people visit the ____ every year.
Read Chapters 8, 9, and 10, and answer these questions.
How long ago did The Mousetrap begin in London?
‘Why do people go to Fabric and Ministry of Sound?
‘What can you see a the Oval?
‘Where does the London Marathon end?
‘What isthe most famous shop in London?
‘Where isa good place o look for books?
‘Which markets have cheap clothes?
What do people enjoy atthe Ritz in the afternoon?
9 Whar colour ate London’s famous buses?
10 How many streets do taxi drivers need to know?48
acrivires: After Reading 2
ACTIVITIES
After Reading
1 Here is an e-mail about a visit to London. Circle the
correct words,
From: Aloe
Subject London
Helio/Goodtye from Londont
| arived/ieft here on Thursday. What a wondertal
town/city On Saturday/Sunday we saw the
Trooping ofthe Colour/Lord Mayors Show's big
‘exhibition/parade for the King’s/ Queen’ bithday, We
Saw her go pest in a beautiful eosch/car
‘On Monday we went to the River Thames/Tyne. We
walked aerss the Bilnnium Bridge Towor Bridge to
| {he Nationa! Gallery/Tate Modern and went to look atthe
fims/paintngs.Then wo hada ride/walkin the Thames
| Barvor/London Eye. The weather was good/bad so
\we could see yde/Contral Park, Saint Patric’ Pauls
Cathedral and 2 lt of other places
"Now its time for some shopping Tomorrow t'm going
to the Cty Knightsbridge, because | want to visit Harrods.
After thatI'm geing tothe Brixton Acadomy/Riteto have
‘attemoon tea/ish and chips it's avery English itish
thing to dot
‘See you soon
| Alc
=e
2 Find these words in the word search below, and draw
lines through them. The words go from left to right, and
from top to bottom.
art, bar, capital, century, church, elub, concert, coronation,
destroy, docks, flood, food, gallery, government, king,
museurn, music, painting, prison, royal, view
Glolvle[R|N[M[eE [Ni TI k|s
w[Flelelale[i[tialilifa
K/olo/ealrie|siviPini[c
mio[r|Plaliin[r|t in[clo
ul[plo[cik|s|alclelala[n
s[E|N/AlR|o|R|H|wiolalc
Elelalcle[n|t[ulr|y|cle
uls|tic[tlule[alalalelr
m[c[t|m[uls|i[cfolele|r
F[tfololo/ele[H[T|H/R/e
altinir[ole|s|[t[R[olv[e
Now write down all the letters that do not have lines
through them, beginning with the first line and going
‘across each line to the end. You now have 24 letters,
‘which make the name of a place.
41 What isthe name, and where is this place?
2 What can you see there?
3. When dd it open?Se eee
0 acrwrres: After Reading cries After Reading st
3 Here is a new photo for the book. Find the best place in 4 Tris the year 2100, What is London like? Tick the
the book to put the picture, and answer these questions. sentences you agree with.
Yes No
‘The picture goes on page —. 1 Everybody speaks English, oo
1 Where was the phorographer? 2 Nobody lives near the river
2 Would you like to go there? because ofthe floods. ae fal
3 What can you see in che photo? 3 Thete are no cars inthe centre
of London. oo
Now write a caption fr the photo. 4 Buckingham Palaceisnowahot. =
5. Fish is ery expensive, so only tich
people eat fish and chips oo
Now write ewo sentences of your own.
‘Would you like to visit London? Why/ Why not?
‘What five things would you lke to see and do in
London? What would you like to see first? What is.
‘the most interesting thing about the city for you?
6 Compare London and your city or town. You can use
the information in this book. These websites can help
‘you too: www.visitlondon.com, www.visitbritain.com,
wwwenjoyengland.com
You can begin like this:
There are7 million people in London, butin (my city) there
are__. In London, people speak English and
lou 300 more languages: in (my city) they speak
Caption:ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Escort worked in business before becoming a writer Since
then he has veriten many hooks for readers of all ages. He
swat born in Somerset, in the west of England, but now lives in
Bournemouth onthe south coast. When he snot working, he likes
Tooking for long-forgotten books in small backstreet bookshops,
watching old Hollywood fs on video, and walking for miles
along empty beaches. He als enjoys visting London and going to
the art galleries and museums.
John has writen or retold many stories for both Oxford
Dominoes and Oxford Bookworms. His other Facts titles are
New York and England (hoth at Stage 1) and Great Crimes (at
Scag 4
OXFORD BOOK WORMS LIBRARY
Cases Crime & Mystery Fctfles Fantasy & Horror
Hansa nee Plysrpts» Ther Adventure
“Tue Soi» Word Storer
‘The oxronn nookROR ANY provides enjopable radios in En,
with 2 wide range of cassie and moderation, non fetion, and plays
Teincis orginal ane adaped reat ever carefly pad language
sags which tak earners om begins to advanced Il. An overview
‘given on the nest pes,
All Sage 1 ies ae avilable a aio reconing, a well at oer sity
ther les rom Starter Sage 6. lSertr and aay tides a Stage
to-farespeialy cmd for younger earner. Every Bookworm
ite, and Searers and Fale ae fllalour hsteations
“The oxroan sok wou kat ao oflers extensive suppor. Each book
ona an intoduron to ce sory, notes about the aor glossary,
tnd acts, Adon resource incode ets and workaet, and
tvwer for thee and forthe actives in the books Theis aceon
uoning «lise libary, sing audio recordings, andthe many ways of
‘ting Onn! Bookworms in reading programmes, Resource materials re
‘alle on the webite