TOPIC. London. Sightseeing.
Exercise 120. Read the text. What interesting facts have you learnt? Find more information and compare Big Ben to the Tsar Bell.
Big Ben has been telling the sharp time since 1859. The erection of this famous Clock Tower began in 1837, when the reign of Queen Victoria began. This time the reconstruction of Westminster Palace was going on, because the fire damaged the building in 1834.
The constructor of the clock was Sir Edmund Greemthorp. The clock is really big: the area of every round face is 23 square feet, the minute hand is 14 feet long (4 m 30 cm) and the hour hand is 9 feet long ( 2 m 75 cm). The big bell standing behind four round
faces weighs 13,5 tons. Just a vehicle with 14 horses could bring the bell to the tower from foundry. This bell has an unusual history.
It was founded twice. After the first founding it cracked, and it was decided to found it once more. But after the second attempt it cracked again. And the bell has been uttering this unusual resonant sound since that time.
Why was the bell called Big Ben? There are two versions. Perhaps it was called so in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall, who managed the erection of the Clock Tower. To another opinion workers who removed the bell from foundry gave it this name. The fact is that boxing was very popular sport with Englishmen, and Benjamin Count was the most popular boxer that time. And the workers called the bell in honour of this sportsman.
Now the famous clock is located in the tower which was built in Neogothic style. Its height is 320 feet (97,5 m). Big Ben sounds every hour, and little bells ring every quarter of hour.
Exercise 121. Read the text. Find more details about the Tower of London and share in class.
The Tower of London.
For over 900 years the Tower has dominated the city of London. Throughout its long history the Tower has served as a royal palace and fortress, prison, armory and jewel house.
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century to intimidate the citizens of London. The Tower was established during his reign (1066-1078) on the remains of a Roman fortification. Later it became the royal residence. Then the Tower was white washed and it became known as the White tower.
Edward I added a sinister chapel to the Tower’s history when he set up a permanent execution scaffold, and in the 15th and 16th centuries increased its reputation as a prison.
James I was the last monarch to use the Tower as a residence. The chief occupants today are the Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters in their Tudor costumes, and the ravens. As the legend goes, Charles II arranged to keep some ravens on the grounds always, after being told that the Tower and the monarchy would fall if the birds ever left. The wings of the birds are now clipped to prevent them from flying away. Ravens are cared for by one of the Yeoman Warders, with the title of Ravenmaster.
About 150 people still live within the Tower walls, mainly Yeoman Warders and their families. The Yeoman Warders are descended from the ancient band of warders who, from early in the Tower’s history, had the responsibility for guarding the gates and royal prisoners. The red and gold state dress is only worn for special occasions, ceremonies, church parades and when royalty visits the Tower. At the Ceremony of the Keys, a version of which has been performed nightly for hundred of years, the outer gates of the fortress are locked and the keys delivered to the Resident Governor of the Tower.
The Crown Jewels have been on public display at the Tower of London since the 17th century. They include the imperial State Crown, which contains 3000 jewels, and the royal Sceptre which has the largest top quality diamond in the world – the 530 carat the First Star of Africa (Cullinan I).
The Crown Jewels have not always been as securely held as they are today. In 1671, when the jewels were housed in the Martin Tower, ‘Colonel’ Thomas Blood made a daring attempt to steal the crown, orb and sceptre and got as far as Tower Wharf before he and his accomplices were caught. In 1815, a madwoman got hold of the State Crown and wrenched its arches apart causing considerable damage. In 1841 a serious fire again threatened their safety.
Today the Tower of London is still one of the capital’s most prominent landmarks and a world famous visitor attraction.
Exercise 122. Make a presentation “Places to Visit in London”. Choose one of the sights and follow the plan.
1. Introduce the topic. Why did you choose this particular building/place?
2. When and by whom was this building erected/this place founded? Talk about the historical aspect – how did this place develop with the course of time? Was this place restored/renovated? Why did it happen? Talk about the significance of this place. Is this place connected with famous people in history?
3. Talk about the present state of this building/place. Is it available for visitors?
Exercise 123. Test your knowledge.
1. What’s London’s most famous department store?
A. Piccadilly B. Harrods C. The Barbican Centre
2. What street has a long tradition as the home of printing?
A. Sloane Street B. Oxford Street C. Fleet Street
3. What are the famous guards of The Tower of London called?
A. Beefeaters B. The Guards C. Knights
4. Where are the Crown Jewels kept?
A. in the Tower of London B. in the British Museum C. in Westminster Abbey
5. What commemorates Napoleon’s defeat at sea in 1805?
A. Oliver's Column B. Duke of York's Column C. Nelson's Column
6. What line runs through Greenwich?
A. Nine Elms Lane B. The Prime Meridian C. Long Lane
7. Where’s the home of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
A. Downing Street 10 and 11 B. Regent Street C. Fleet Street
8. What did Madame Tussauds start in 1835?
A. a famous bakery B. famous waxworks C. a famous needle-point
Summarizing Exercise
Exercise 124. Translate into English using your Active Grammar and Active Vocabulary.
1. Боюсь, как бы нам не успеть осмотреть все исторические достопримечательности. 2. Картина, несомненно, стоит той суммы денег, которую за нее просят. Предлагаю вам подумать еще. 3. Он ударил кулаком по столу и сказал: “Пора принимать меры. Я приказываю, чтобы только служащих с пропусками допускали в здание.” 4. Она была так поражена, что единственным ее желанием на тот момент было, как бы ее волнение не стало очевидным для всех. 5. Предлагаю подарить ей вазу! Ее любимая ваза недавно разбилась. 6. Совет доктора заключался в том, чтобы пациент придерживался диеты и ограничил употребление сахара до двух кусочков в день. 7. Мы выражаем общее мнение, что круговое движение на этой площади ухудшает экологическую обстановку. 8. Она опасалась, как бы предыдущий текст по домашнему чтению не поставил студентов в тупик. 9. Ее опасения заключались в том, как бы общение в высших кругах не повредило Дориану. 10. Мы договорились, что нам дадут такое же количество часов на гуманитарные науки, как и на естественные. 11. – Боюсь, как бы фотосъемка со вспышкой не была запрещена в Британском музее. – Неудивительно, что ты так опасаешься этого, ведь ты так любишь фотографировать. В любом случае, ты сможешь купить буклеты и открытки в магазине сувениров. 12. Галерею Тэйт стоит посетить. Я попрошу, чтобы ее посещение было включено в нашу программу экскурсий. 13. Его предложение заключалось в том, чтобы эти потрясающие новости никому не сообщали сегодня.
Unit 4
Exercise 125. Consult the dictionary and find the meanings of the following phrasal verbs.
to get about
to get across
to get something across (to someone)
to get along
to get at someone
to get at something
to get away with something (informal)
to get back at someone (informal)
to get by
to get someone down (informal)
to get something down
to get down to something (informal)
to get in
to get someone in (informal)
to get something in
to get in with someone (informal)
to get off
to get off something
to get someone off
to get something off
to get off with someone (informal)
to get on
to get on to someone
to get on to something
to get out
to get someone out
to get something out
to get out of something (informal)
to get over someone (informal)
to get over something
to get something over
to get round someone (informal)
to get round something
to get someone round
to get something round
to get round to someone/something (informal)
to get through
to get through something
to get through to someone
to get someone through
to get something through
to get up
to get someone up
to get something up
to get up to something
to turn someone/something down
to turn in (informal)
to turn someone in (informal)
to turn something in
to turn someone off (something) (informal)
to turn someone on (informal)
to turn on someone
to turn out
to turn someone out (of somewhere)
to turn something out
to turn out something
to turn someone/something over (to someone)
to keep in (informal)
to keep someone in
to keep something in (informal)
to keep in with someone (informal)
to keep on
to keep something on
to keep on at someone for/about something (informal)
to keep out of something
to keep up
to keep someone up (informal)
to keep something up
to keep up something
to keep up with
Exercise 126. Consult the dictionary and find the meanings of the following idiomatic expressions. Use them in the examples of your own.
to get away with something
to get back on one’s feet
to get down to business
to get even with someone
to get goose bumps
to get a hold of oneself/to get a grip on oneself
to get hold of the wrong end of the stick (informal)
to get it into one’s head (that...)
to get mad (at someone)
to get there (informal)
to get the upper hand
to turn a blind eye to somebody
to turn a deaf ear (to someone)
to turn one’s nose up at something (informal)
to turn the other cheek
to turn over a new leaf
to turn tail
to keep body and soul together
to keep something dark
to keep one’s fingers crossed (for someone)
to keep in touch (with someone)
to keep oneself to oneself
to keep up with the Joneses
Exercise 127. Choose the suitable word from the box.
1. She … her fear and … to see who was following her.
2. I hated my first day at this school. All the students in my class wanted to … me.
3. I always … Sarah well, but I realized that he doesn’t … her promises and in fact she began to … .
4. How many times am I supposed to tell you? The dog is not allowed in the house! It’ll … the whole place … … and you’ll have to clean this mess.
5. Thank you, I … the ride. This is a great car, but with my income I can … it only in the next century.
6. … him to something tasty and he’ll keep quiet.
7. I need to lose a few ponds, I think I will … a diet.
8. We’d better leave a note for him. In case he finally …, he’ll know where to find us.
9. Luckily, they … me … this new medicine. You know I’m afraid of injections.
10. I think it’s unfair to … the truth … from the relatives.
| treat | keep |
| turn up | get on one’s nerves |
| afford | enjoy |
| get over | treat |
| turn | treat with |
| keep to | keep back |
| turn upside down | make fun of |
Exercise 128. Read the interview, mind the use of enjoy. What do you enjoy doing? Make up a short story about your favourite things to do.
Interviewer Good evening, Paul.
Paul Good evening.
Interviewer Tell us about your trip to Russia.
Paul Oh, I have thoroughly enjoyed it, I had a good time there.
Interviewer Did you go straight to Lake Baikal?
Paul No, I spent a couple days in Moscow. I had a great tour of the city. The cathedrals were awesome! I also had to get some souvenirs for my family. I enjoyed shopping on Arbat Street, there are lots of stalls with all kinds of hand crafts.
Interviewer Oh really? Sounds like fun.
Paul Uhuh. Then I got some stuff for my trip and left for the Baikal. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. I enjoyed hiking there. The bugs bothered me though, so if you ever go there, be sure to take a lot of bug spray.
Interviewer Great advice! And now let’s see the slides…
Exercise 129. Translate into English using Active Vocabulary.
1. Стало холодно и нам пришлось возвращаться. 2. Ты получила мое письмо? В нем я писала, что скоро вернусь в Москву. 3. Уже темнело. Я решила отложить свою работу на завтра. 4. Когда я добрался до дома своего друга, мне пришло на ум, что я забыл подарок, и мне пришлось повернуть назад. 5. Не вертись, ты действуешь мне на нервы! 6. Несмотря на дождь, мы продолжали идти. 7. Мне пришло в голову, что я могла быть неправа. 8. Извини, что я заставила тебя ждать. Я случайно повернула не в тот переулок. 9. Мы сделали это в шутку, мы не хотели обидеть его. 10. Он такой смешной! Наблюдать за этим ребенком такое удовольствие. 11. Приятного вам пребывания в нашей стране! 12. – Прекрати, ты же перевернул всю комнату вверх дном! – Я вывернусь наизнанку, но найду этот диск!
Exercise 130. Translate into English using Active Vocabulary.
1. Мы никогда не доберемся до дома, если будем заходить в каждый магазин. 2. Бухгалтер уже обнаружил ошибку в подсчете баланса, и лишь нехватка времени заставила его отложить ее исправление на следующий день. 3. Как оказалось, она уже проходила курс лечения в этой больнице. 4. Он пытался удержать тебя от встречи с этими людьми. 5. Ограбление произошло около 2 часов дня. Весь дом был перевернут вверх дном, но все ценные вещи остались на своих местах. Преступники взяли лишь какие-то бумаги. 6. Как вы провели время? – Я случайно узнала, что фильм, который я так давно хотела посмотреть, идет в нашем кинотеатре. Я хорошо провела время. Было замечательно! 7. Скоро первое апреля. Надо будет обязательно сыграть какую-нибудь шутку с Ником, он так не любит, когда над ним подшучивают. 8. Я чувствую, что он что-то от меня скрывает. 9. Если мы накопим эту сумму денег, то сможем позволить себе поездку в Испанию.