MY SMALL VIRTUAL TOUR OF LONDON AUTHOR Natali Svyatetskaya 2013 year

BIG BEN Big Ben is the name given to the clock and bell of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. When the great bell was cast in a London foundry in 1858,the question of it is name was discussed in Parliament.One member said,”Why not call it Big Ben?” There was much laughter among the members,because the Chief Commissioner of Works at that time was sir Bengamin Hall,a very tall stout man,whose nickname was ‘’Big Ben’’. From that time the bell has been known is Big Ben. Each of the faces is 23 feet in diameter(7.50m.),the figures on it are 60 centimeters long,the minute- hand is 4.26m.,and it travels more than half a meter every minute.During the year each minute- hand travels 160,934 km.round the clock.Big Ben weighs 13,716 kg. During the last World War Big Ben was unharmed.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY It is ancient and full of history.The oldest part of the building dates bake from the eighth century,it was a monastery-the West Minster.Five hundred years later it was transformed into a church and in the sixteenth century,this wonderful chapel was built.The front,the two towers were added later. For nearly 1000 years all the kings and queens of England- 37in all-have been crowned here and many of them are buried here too.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE Buckingham Palace is the place where British kings and queens live when they are in London. Different visitors often go to the palace.They meet the queen and the royal family inside the palace. Many visitors like to see the Changing of the Guard. The bright red and gold of the uniforms,the shining top- boots,the helmets,the feathers flying,the banner flying,the drummer drumming,and the drummer>s sticks flying up in the air! The Horse Guards regiment has existed since the twelfth century.

THE END M.Z.Biboletova ”Enjoy English” N.N.Markova “This is London”