Учебник для 6 класса

Английский язык

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18. Make sure that you can read these proper names, 34.

19. Read the text and say what new information about London you’ve got from it.

Royal London

Many places in London are closely connected with the Crown. There are royal palaces, royal parks, roads and streets where beautiful ceremonies are held. The most important building is Buckingham Palace (the Palace), which is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II. The Mall, a wide avenue used for royal processions runs from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace through St. James’s Park.

All together there are ten royal parks in and around London which are owned by the Crown. They are open to the public free of charge. Each park has its own character. Hyde Park, for example, used to be a hunting forest. Regent’s Park was also a hunting place and is now the home of London Zoo, and an open-air theatre which gives perfomances of Shakespeare’s plays in summer.

Buckingham Palace

Though nowadays the Queen reigns but does not rule, the Royal Family plays a very important role in the country. In the history of Britain there were certain Kings and Queens whose names are specially remembered in the country and are well-known in the whole world. One of them was Henry VIII (1491-1547). Most people remember him only because he had six wives. But in fact he was a very important monarch. Under him Britain became independent of the Roman Catholic Church, it got richer and more powerful.

Henry VIII

In 1534 Parliament named Henry head of the Church of England and gave the King all the power in the country.

Queen Elizabeth II

Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth (1533—1603) became the Queen in 1558. She never married and is remembered as a very popular and strong queen. She is known for saying “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble¹ woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King ...”. During her reign England became very important in European politics, the Spanish Armada was defeated, arts and especially the theatre developed, and the country became very powerful. 35. Another strong queen was Queen Victoria (1819— 1901), whose monument you can see in front of Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria came to the throne as a young woman in 1837 and reigned until her death in 1901. She ruled for the longest period in the English history, for 64 years! Victoria married a German, Prince Albert, but he died at the age of forty-two in 1861. That was a great tragedy for Queen Victoria. She left London and never lived in the city where she had been so happy with her husband and nine children (five sons and four daughters). But there are places in London that remind us of their love. One of them is the Royal Albert Hall — a very large concert hall where the best musicians of the world perform classical music. In front of the Albert Hall there is a monument to Prince Albert built by Queen Victoria. Another place is the Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A) with its rich collections of paintings and other works of art. The family life of Queen Victoria touched people’s hearts. But this is not the only reason why Queen Victoria became very popular. During her reign Britain became a rich industrial country with a developed trade, an empire with a lot of colonies. Queen Victoria’s great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth II, is on the British throne now. The Queen’s title in the United Kingdom is Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, etc. etc. etc.² .

20. Now you have new facts about London and its connection with the royal family. Can you answer these questions?

1. What palaces in London are connected with the Crown?
2. Which building is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II?
3. Where are royal processions usually held in London?
4. How many royal parks are there in London? Can you name some of them? What can you say about them?
5. Why is it said that the Queen in Britain reigns but doesn’t rule?
6. Which of the famous British queens and kings can you name?
7. Why is King Henry VIII remembered in the country and in the whole world? Can you prove that he was a very important monarch?
8. Why was Queen Elizabeth I remembered in the history of Britain?
9. What do you know about Queen Victoria’s family life?
10. What places in London are connected with Queen Victoria?
11. Why do some people call Queen Victoria’s reign the “golden age” in the history of Britain?
12. What do you know about the British royal family of nowadays?

21. Prepare the marked paragraph for test reading ( 35, ex. 19).