BAZA ZNANJA

Kurs: - Pre-Intermediate

Modul: Articles

Autor: prof. Gordana Matorkić

Naziv jedinice: London

GETTING TO KNOW … LONDON

Hello, my name is Robert.

London is my hometown. I was born there and I spent my childhood years in this magnificent city. London is undoubtedly, a breathtaking place. Tourists simply love it. Their favourite activity is sightseeing around the city.

You can take a doubledecker, comfortably lean back and enjoy the sights. A tourist guide will show you all the landmarks, starting with Trafalgar Square. There you can see many beautiful fountains and statues with flocks of pigeons. In the middle of it is Nelson’s Column. You can also see Westminster Bridge with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on one side of the bridge. The Houses of Parliament are actually called the Palace of Westminster. I would suggest you see the abode of the Queen- Buckingham Palace and the famous prison where many people lost their heads. It’s the Tower of London. In this castle you can see the Crown Jewels. When you get tired in the afternoon, there’s nothing better than taking a boat down the River Thames, all the way to Greenwich. Then you can go shopping in Oxford Street and see a film at the London Palladium in the evening.

That is how the modern city looks like. However, the old city of London was very different from today’s city. The buildings were made of wood; the streets were narrow and dirty with a lot of rubbish everywhere. In 1666 a huge fire caught the city and almost everyone lost their home. After that, people of London built a more modern city with wide, straight streets. Sir Christopher Wren built a new St Paul’s Cathedral, a pride of every Londoner today. Near London Bridge you can see the Monument to the Great Fire of London. It is 33 meters high because it is 33 meters from the bakery in Pudding Lane where the fire started. There are a lot of interesting stories about the history of London, but I suggest you visit this city when you get the chance. And don’t be afraid of Londoners. They are perhaps a bit reserved but always remember, we all have something in common - the great love for London!