Task 10. General knowledge. Let’s see if you know London. Match up the names of London’s famous landmarks and their descriptions, filling in the gaps.

a. Tower Bridge g. Trafalgar Square l

b. St Paul’s Cathedral h. Windsor Castle

c. the Houses of Parliament i. Westminster Abbey

d. Buckingham Palace j. Big Ben

e. Tower of London k. Parliament Square m. Piccadilly Circus l. the City

 

1. London, the capital of the United Kingdom, today covers more than 620 square miles. It began around the famous “square mile” of ______ and the area known as Westminster, along the River Thames. The Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans all settled there in turn, and over the centuries considerable building took place as the city grew both in size and importance.

2. One of the best-known landmarks of London is ___________. Rebuilt in 1840 on an 8-acre site of the former royal palace, the elaborately carved stone building in Gothic style contains 11 courtyards. ______________ was initially built in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor and consecrated by him in 1065, shortly before his death in 1116.

3. The clock tower, one of the tourist attractions in London, rises to 320 feet.

______ is the name of the bell (13.5 tons in weight) which is struck each quarter hour. A light in the tower tells that the House of Commons is in session at night.

4 __________ contains a wealth of British history and this superb example of Early English Gothic architecture is the burial place of kings and queens, poets, politicians, eminent scientists and churchmen. It is the premier church of England not of cathedral status and since 1066 every sovereign except Edward V has been crowned here.

5. _____________ stands between the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey and contains statues of many famous people, including Abraham Lincoln, and many former prime ministers such as Benjamin Disraeli and Sir Robert Peel. There is also a fine statue of Sir Winston Churchill, which was unveiled in 1973.

6. Named to commemorate Nelson’s great naval victory over the French in 1805, ___________ is a great rendezvous for pigeons and political demonstrations. Nelson’s

column rises to nearly 185 feet and around its pedestal are bronze relieves depicting the Admiral’s victories. Its four corners are guarded by bronze lions created by Sir Edwin Landseer. The fountains, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, were added in 1928.

A huge fir-tree is set up in ___________ each Christmas. It is a traditional gift from the people of Norway in thanks for the hospitality to their Royal Family during the Second World War.

7. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ is famous for its shops, theatres and nightlife, and the Eros Statue on a peninsula on the south side is a memorial, designed by Sir Alfred Gilbert to the Victorian reformer Lord Shaftesbury.

8. The most famous dome in London is that of ____________, the seat of the Bishop of London, which stands on the site of former Saxon and Norman churches. The latter was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the present building, of Portland stone, was completed in 1710. It is the greatest masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren.

The dome is the largest church dome in the world after St Peter’s in Rome. The Whispering Gallery runs around the inside of the dome and derives its name from the fact that words whispered against the wall on one side can be heard near the wall on the opposite side, 107 feet away in a straight line. The surface of the inner dome is decorated with paintings by Sir James Thornhill, depicting scenes in the life of St Paul. Among the many people buried in ___________ are Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren himself. _____________ was also the setting for the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.

9. For nearly a thousand years history has been made in _______________. William the Conqueror began the White Tower in 1078 and further building went on until the nineteenth century.

_____________ has been put to many uses such as a royal residence, zoo, Royal Mint and, most recently, a museum to house the national collection of armour and the Crown Jewels. It has perhaps been best known as a prison. Heroes and traitors from centuries of British history have been incarcerated within its walls.

10. The most famous and distinctive bridge in London, _________ raises its twin 1,000 ton drawbridges to allow ships to pass up river. Built in 1894, when Victorian engineering reached its zenith, the bridge is 800 feet long. Between its twin Gothic towers are the drawbridges, which take 1 1/2 minutes to rise. All the original machinery for raising and lowering is still in place with just one concession to modern technology: electric motors now replace the steam engines.

11. London has been the home of the British royal family for many centuries. Although many former places have now been converted for other uses, some remain royal residences. ______________ is the most famous royal home in the world. Built in 1703, it was bought by George III sixty years later for the bargain price of 28,000 pounds. Its ‘backyard’ is a 40-acre expanse of lawns and lake. Outside _______________, at 11.30 most mornings in summer and on alternate days in winter, the Changing of the Guards takes place to the accompaniment of the Guard’s bands. The royal family occupies the north wing of ________________ and the Royal Standard is flown when the Queen is in residence.

12. _______________, the largest inhabited castle in the world, has been a royal home for 900 years. It was one of the first sites chosen by William the Conqueror as a massive link in a chain of castles he wanted to build around London to protect his newly acquired kingdom. Building started in 1070 on an ideal chalk outcrop, which reared 100 feet above the Thames, giving a commanding view over the countryside for miles around. In size and plan, the original castle is identical to the present one.