Section Three Economy and Cities

UK to suffer 'severe' recession The UK economy is likely to go into a deep recession next year The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has warned of a "severe" economic downturn in the UK in The Paris-based body has predicted that economic output in the UK will fall by 1.1% next year. Unemployment in the UK is predicted to rise significantly to over 8% by end of 2009 from 5.5% in The US economy is forecast to decline by 0.9% in 2009, and Germany by 0.8%. Economic growth in the 30 countries of the OECD is forecast to fall by 0.4%, before growing by 1.5% in 2010.

UK RESCUE PLANS Much of the current crisis has been caused by the banks' unwillingness to lend to each other, so the UK government has come up with a plan to inject billions of pounds in capital and to guarantee loans in the hope that lending will resume.

In London confidence in the markets fell with news of Bradford & Bingley's (the largest mortgage loan holder) nationalization. Banking shares have been the worst hit by the financial turmoil. FTSE 100 INDEX: 16 September present

I. National Economy Economic situation is undergoing changes every minute. The material in the textbook is not so up-to-date,except some general information. So you are expected to collect some latest materials. There are plenty of resources, newspapers, magazines, TV reports, or internet, etc. Presentation Arrangement (do it in pairs) 1. Choose partners 2. Choose a topic (about the country’s economy) 3. Collect materials 4. Write something about the topic 5. Give the presentation

II. Cities 1. London and its famous buildings Task 1 About London  London is the capital of the United Kingdom.  It is a commercial centre and hub of communications.  It is the largest city of England  It is one of the largest commercial ports in the world

Task 2 watch the video and recognize the landscapes

Parliament Building

Parliament Building and Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey is the famous church in which are buried the most distinguished statesmen authors, artists, and scientists of England. It is a traditional place where the coronation ceremony of England king and queen take place.

William Shakespeare Poets’ Corner

Burials Some of the most famous to lie here, include the poets John Dryden,Robert Browning and John Masefield. Many writers, including Dr. Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy are also buried here. Charles Dickens's grave attracts particular interest. Memorials Those who have memorials here, although they are buried elsewhere, include the poets John Milton, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Robert Burns, William Blake, T.S. Eliot. Writers such as Samuel Butler, Jane Austen, Oliver Goldsmith, Sir Walter Scott, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, and Henry James also been given memorials here.

For many centuries the Coronation Chair was housed in this chapel but is now located just outside, near the Lady Chapel steps. At coronations the Chair with the Stone stands facing the High Altar in Sanctuary The Coronation Chair was made for King Edward I to enclose the famous Stone of Scone, which he brought from Scotland to the Abbey in Scone, a village of central Scotland northeast of Perth. The old part of the village was the coronation site of Scottish kings until The Stone of Scone, or Stone of Destiny, which served as a throne during the coronation rites, was taken to England by Edward I in the late 13th century and today rests in Westminster Abbey beneath the chair used during the crowning of British monarchs.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Tower of London Tower of London beside the river was first used as a military fortress, as the king’s palace and finally as a prison

Tower bridge Tower Bridge, right beside the castle, was built in the last century as the most seaward of the capital's bridges over the Thames. Its position meant that large ships had to pass under it to enter the city's Port. They could not have passed under a conventional bridge, this novel design got round the problem by having roadways that could be raised like a castle drawbridge

Whitehall Horse Guards, a square facing Whitehall, at 11 daily (except 10 on Sunday) by the Household Cavalry It is lined with offices of the most important ministries of the British government In news reports Whitehall usually stands for the British Government.

No. 10 Downing Street Branching off from Whitehall is another small street, Downing Street. No.10 Downing Street is often used to stand for the British prime minister in news reports.

Statue of Queen Victoria Buckingham Palace

Hyde park The northeast corner of the park is known as Speakers’ Corner which came into being in the 1860s,set aside by the government as a haven where protesters could let off steam peacefully.

Greenwich Observatory the prime meridian, or longitude 0°.

Piccadilly Circus, London's hub

Trafalgar Square Pigeon Square

2. Other Famous Cities Task II Locate the cities

Exercises I. Filling in the Blanks  1.__________ is the largest city and the largest seaport of Britain.  2.______________ is the second largest city and _________ is the second largest seaport of Britain.  3.___________ is the traditional place where the coronation ceremony of England king and queen take place.  4. _____________is often used to stand for the British prime minister in news reports. And ___________ usually stands for the British Government.  5. _______________ is the London residence of the Queen.  6. In 1860s, the government set aside __________ for protesters could let off steam peacefully.

① ② ⑧ ④ ⑤ ⑥ ⑦ II. Locate the citis and match with their most distinctive feature “Black Country” during Industrial Revolution a.A center of textile industries b.The second seaport c. the capital of Scotland d. ship-building center in Scotland e.Capital of Wales f.Capital of Northen Ireland g. the largest city in Britain ③