Vocabulary

Video

Transcript

This is London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom.

The big wheel you can see is the Millennium Wheel or London Eye as it’s also known. It’s one hundred and thirty-five meters high with 32 glass capsules. The wheel was opened in March 2000 to mark the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the new millennium.

Opposite the Millennium Wheel you can find Big Ben, the famous Clock Tower and the Palace of Westminster also known as the Houses of Parliament. This is where the government meets.

 
One of the best things about London is its parks. In Regent’s Park, you have the largest grass area for sports in central London and an open-air theatre.

You can relax, walk and run in the parks; but you can’t cycle — only the police can do that. Horses are another good and ecological way of keeping order in London.

This is Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery art museum in the background. Nelson’s column is a monument to Admiral Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1815.

You can also visit the British Museum in great Russell Street or walk over the new Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern Museum.

When it opened on the 10th of June the bridge had to be closed after just a few days because it was moving too much — Don’t worry it’s okay now.

The Tate Modern Museum is a converted old power station.

 
On the other side of the Millennium Bridge is Paul’s Cathedral. It is a tourist attraction and you can walk the five hundred and thirty steps up to the gallery and see London.

Another feature of London is the changing of the guard which takes place inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace every day at 11:00 a.m. It lasts about 40 minutes — but come early as there are usually lots of people.

You can take a boat along the Thames. This is Tower Bridge it opens up for big boats and all the car traffic has to stop for about 15 minutes. You can also walk along the top reefs that joins the two towers.

If you keep going east you arrive in the new Docklands area. There are a lot of big offices and expensive new apartments along the river there.

Times certainly flies when you’re travelling around London.

Questions

Palace. The London Eye is a medieval structure. The London Eye was built in the Middle Ages. True or false? What can visitors do at the London Eye?

Legislature, Parliament, Congress. Does the British Royal Family reside in the Palace of Westminster?

Castle, Fortress. London is completely urbanized. Every square meter of London is covered by asphalt roads, cement sidewalks and buildings. Is this right or wrong?

Museum, Art Gallery. Does Trafalgar Square commemorate World War Two? Does it honor Winston Churchill?

City Bus, Bus Stop. Are all the museums in London the same or are they different?

Disco, Nightclub, Club. Is Britain a historically Hindu or Buddhist country?

Bar, Pub. The changing of the guards happens every hour. Is this correct or incorrect? Does it take place at Windsor Castle?

Train, Tram, Trolley. Is the Tower Bridge mobile or immobile? How can people cross or pass through the Tower Bridge?
 
 
 
Cafe, Bistro, Restaurant. My friends and I have been to London. Yes or no?

Bridge. Would you like to visit London? Would you like to live, work or study in London?

River, Riverfront, Riverbank. What is the most beautiful, interesting or fascinating city that you have visited? What is your favorite city?

Port, Harbor, Dock. What might happen to London in the future?

Bureau, Department, Ministry. Should people visit London and other big cities, or smaller towns and places or both?

Subway, Underground, Tube, Metro. Should governments and people build new modern buildings or old, classical buildings or both?