Read and translate the text. London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world (together with Tokyo and New York) and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.

London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old. It has more than a 20century-old history. Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.

The City is the oldest part of, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. Two masterpieces are situated within the City: St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of British churches and the Tower of London. St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in the 17^th century by Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it’s a museum.

Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes BuckinghamPalace where the Queen lives and the House of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament.The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is a famous for its big hour bell, known as “Big Ben”.

Westminster Abbey is the place where coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here as well as some other famous people of the country (G. Chaucer, Tennyson, Newton Ch. Dickens, T. Hardy, R. Kipling, etc.).

The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. It is a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parks and houses are situated there. English aristocracy lives in this region. One of the busiest streets in the West End is Oxford Street. There are many various shops here which attract customers from different countries of the world.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.

Opposite the Nelson monument is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. They contain the finest art collections in the world. Not far from the National Gallery is the BritishMuseum famous for its rich library (about 7 000 000 books), a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures.

The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London there. The region is densely populated by working class families, those people who have built the palaces of the West End. Old residents of the East End are proud to be called cockneys which mean true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area. They love the district very much.