The City of London

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

capital	circus (2)	draw/drew/drawn (2)
river	tradition	square (3)
motif	major (2)	as long as
guard	residence	landmark (2)
to me	core (2)	magnificent
gallery	massive	breath (2)
flag	official	brimming
site	addition	no matter
tower	provide	legend has it
raven	frequent	monarchy
secure	icon (2)	inspiration
as well	taste (2)	begin/began/begun
district	gherkin	striking (2)
royal	rich (2)	anywhere else
hustle	hangout	offbeat (2)
prefer	flavor (2)	all over the world
diverse	look for	find/found/found
canal	beefeater	sit/sat/sat
refuge	amazing	know/knew/known
legend	head for	hustle and bustle
dozen	symbolic	architecture
skyline	tradition	gateway (2)
palace	show (2)	illustrate (2)

 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

London, the British capital along the River Themes, where centuries of tradition draw tourists in their millions, to Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.

Photographer Christopher Holt is a frequent visitor to Trafalgar Square — it’s one of the city’s major landmarks, and most frequently photographed motifs.

The changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen.

Christopher Holt, Photographer: “Buckingham Palace is a magnificent icon: it’s what everyone thinks of when they come to London. If they want to come to London, they want to see the Queen here in Buckingham Palace. It’s got a massive gallery.

The flag is out today: it shows that the Queen is actually in as well.”

Not far away is Kensington Palace, last official residence of Princess Diana.

London is brimming with royal sites, like the Tower of London, guarded by the beefeaters. Legend has it that as long as the ravens remain, the tower and the monarchy will be secure.

Christopher Holt, Photographer: “To me the Tower of London is a core of historic England; it’s the center of everything that you think of when you think of Henry the Eighth, and our entire history.

The beefeaters are symbolic of London. Actually, it’s the core of London for me. It’s where you begin.”

Tower Bridge is close by. It’s the gateway to the financial district known as The City.

The Gherkin Towers above. It’s one of the most striking additions to the London skyline.

Oxford Street is one of busiest shopping streets in Europe. People prefering a more offbeat style head for Camden Market, a popular hangout for young people from all over the world, who’ve moved to London, looking for inspiration.

Christopher Holt, Photographer: “London’s famous for markets, but Camden’s very diverse. There’s a youthful energy in Camden that you just won’t find anywhere else.

You can do anything in Camden: it’s a beautiful place and you can also sit by the canal and have a good drink. No matter what age you are, it’s a beautiful spot.”

Hyde Park is the best known park in London. But there are dozens of others too.

Primrose Hill in the north of the city provides a refuge from the hustle and bustle . . . and a fantastic view.

Christopher Holt, Photographer: “I find the architecture in London quite amazing: it shows breath, it show diversity. It illustrates the city as well. There’s a lot of money coming into London.

And it shows the openness that we have a city towards modern architecture and different flavors and different tastes.”

It’s an openness that makes London one of the most attractive cities in worldwide, rich in it’s traditions, and yet always changing.

 

 

Questions

1. London is a coastal city. London lies along the seaside. True or false?

2. Are Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square the names of palaces?

3. The Queen of Britain lives in a castle. Is this right or wrong? Does many tourists come there? What do they see?

4. There are many old, historical buildings associated with kings and queens. Is this correct or incorrect?

5. Are the Tower of London and Tower Bridge the similar? What are the differences between the Tower of London and Tower Bridge?

6. Is Camden a popular attraction? Why do people come to Camden? What can people do in Camden?

7. London is completely old, traditional and historical. Yes or no?

 

A. I live in London. I am from London. Yes or no? Have you met anyone from London?

B. Have you visited London? Have your friends visited London? What was it like? Was it what you had expected?

C. I would love to visit London. True or false? Would you like to study, work or live in London?

D. What is the greatest city in your country? What are some famous sites and landmarks there?

E. What will happen in the future?