Reading Text a. A Day in London.

1.Read and translate.

Advice. If you are going to London for the day by train, try to buy a rail ticket that also includes travel on London buses and the underground. You will save a fortune on fares.

If you do not need your passport and other valuables, leave them at home. Like every other big city, London has pickpockets. They work wherever there are crowds – especially on the underground. Wear a money belt!

Try not to take 10 or 20 pound notes. It is safer to take 5 pounds notes. Check your change in shops as soon as you are given it.

Change money before you go to London. It will save time. Avoid “ exchange bureaux“ when you want to change money. A bank will probably be cheaper: Barclays, Lloyds, Midlands, National Westminster, Bank of Scotland, etc.

If you want to know what shows are on, where, and how much tickets cost, buy a copy of Time Out magazine at the bookshop in the station where you arrive. If you want to buy a ticket to a play, concert, or show, ask about ‘standby seats‘. These are cheaper but are usually only available on the day of the performance.

Plan your visit to London before you arrive! If you don’t, you will waste hours and risk being crushed in the crowds on the underground! London traffic is very busy. This can make taxis expensive. The tube is quicker than the bus, but you don’t see as much!

If you haven’t got much money, take your own sandwiches and drink, as food can be quite expensive.

You will have a very cheap day in London if you visit art galleries and museums. In Britain, they are usually free to every day of the week.

If you want to have a very frustrating day in London, join the queues at Madame Tussauds and the other most popular places. There is more to London than wax figures and Buckingham Palace! Good luck!

2.Explain which advice is the most important for you.

Text b. Things to See in London.

1.Read and translate.

Hyde Park. London’s largest and most fashionable park. It was once a royal hunting forest. Restaurants and bars at each end of the lake. Swim or hire a boat on the Serpentine.

Downing street. Number 10 Downing Street has been the home of the British Prime Minister since 1735.

The Houses of Parliament. Its official name is the Palace of Westminster. Most of the building was built in 1840 after a fire in 1834 destroyed the old palace. At the north end of the building by Westminster Bridge is the famous clock tower, Big Ben. In fact Big Ben is really the name of the bell in the tower not the clock.

The Tower of London. London’s oldest building. Since it was built by William the Conqueror in the 11^th century, this castle has been a royal palace, a prison, a place of execution, a zoo, the Royal Mint and an observatory. Today it’s a museum and houses the Crown Jewels. Gift shop.

Open Monday- Saturday 9.30-5.45. Sundays-2-5.45.

The Natural History Museum. Situated in Kensington. One of London’s greatest museums. A huge collection of animals and plants, including a quarter of a million butterflies, a blue whale and the famous dinosaur skeletons. Cafeteria, gift shop and book shop.

Open daily 10-5.45.

Madame Tussauds, Marylebone road. This famous collection of waxworks has models of famous people from pop stars to prime ministers. Displays of battles and Chamber of Horrors. Gift shop.

Open every day 10-5.30, except Christmas Day.

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich. 10 miles outside London on a hill above the River Thames. The Observatory contains telescopes and displays about astronomy, including Halley’s Comet and Black Holes. The international meridian line runs through the Observatory. Video theatre and souvenir shop. Picnic in Greenwich Park. Take a river boat to Greenwich from Westminster Bridge.

Open 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Closed 25-28 December.

2.Answer these questions.

1.What is the Serpentine ?

2.What do you know about the Palace of Westminster ?

3.What is the Prime Minister’s address ?

4.What is the Natural History Museum famous for?

5.Where can you stand with one foot in the western hemisphere and one foot in the eastern hemisphere?

6.At how many places can you: a) buy something to eat ? b) buy souvenirs ?

3.What place will you first visit in London ? Explain your choice.