London
London has been a capital city for nearly a thousand
years, and many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of
these are the Tower of London (where the Crown Jewels are kept),
Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral, but most visitors also want
to see the House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the many
magnificent museums.
Once, London was a small Roman town on the north bank
of the Thames, but slowly it grew into one of the world's major cities
with more than seven million people. Fewer people live in the centre
now, but the suburbs are still growing.
Places now in the heart of London once stood in the
middle of green fields. Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea and
Mayfair, became part of London, but they still keep some of their old
atmosphere. Different areas of London seem like different cities. The
West End is a rich man's world of shops, offices and theatres. The old
port area is now called "Docklands". The great ships have gone, and the
area is changing very fast. There are huge new office buildings, and
thousands of new flats and houses.
Other parts of London are changing, too. Some of the
poor areas have become fashionable, and people with money are moving
into them.
A hundred years ago, the river was crowded with ships
leaving for Java, Japan, New Zealand and New York, but now people
travel by air, and London's main airport, Heathrow, is one of the
busiest in the world.
Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete
buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and
grass. Sit on the grass (you're allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park
or Kensington Gardens, and you will think that you're in the country,
miles away.
Many people live outside the centre of London in the
suburbs, and they travel to work in the shops and offices by train, bus
or underground. The trains are full - and expensive - and the roads are
crowded with cars, but every day a million people come from far outside
London, even from the coast, and spend up to four hours travelling every
day.
Most people work from 9 am to 5 pm. From 8 till 10
every morning, and 4.30 to 6.30 every evening, the trains are crowded
with people, and after the morning "rush hour" the shoppers come.
By day, the whole of London is busy. At night, the
offices are quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this
is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses
here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas, and
in nearby Soho the pubs, restaurants and nightclubs are busy half the
night.
Many people think that London is all grey but in fact
red is London's favourite colour. The buses are red, the letterboxes
are red and the mail vans are all bright, bright red. London is at its
best when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the soldiers'
uniforms, the cheering crowds and the horses and carriages all sparkle
in the sunshine - if it's not raining, of course!
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