Istituto Comprensivo Portoferraio“G. Pascoli”

Classe IIB

• London is the capital of the UK. It is the largest city in the country with over 8 million inhabitants. London is on the river Thames. It is a business and tourism centre, it is rich in monuments, museums and art galleries. Its theatres, shops and historic buildings attract millions of visitors every year. This fascinating city is full of things to see and do. Here’s a map of the central area.

Useful information

• Hyde Park Hyde Park is the largest and the most crowded of the London’s Parks, along

with Kensington Gardens. In spring and summer you can see many horse, riders in Rotten Row. On fine days people take out rowing and sailing boats on the Serpentine Lake or play football and bowls. In every season, especially at weekends, you can see crowds of people at Speaker’s Corner. Here anyone can speak freely about politics, religion and the social problems..

St James’s Park is the most aristocratic and the oldest of London’s parks, with nice views of Buckingham Palace. In the middle of the park there is a lake with ducks, pelicans and other birds.Tourist and office workers enjoy the fresh air and feed the ducks in their lunch hour.

Green Park has always been different from the other Royal Parks. It has almost no flowers, but it is full of trees. It is a place where you can sit out in a spring or summer afternoon and watch people coming and going.

The Regent’s Park houses London Zoo with about 8.000 animals of 900 species, and an artificial lake which is a paradise for birds. In the open-air theater you can listen to concerts in summer and see performances, mostly of Shakespeare’s plays.

• The London Eye, also known as the Millennium wheel was built in 1999, and since then the biggest observation wheel in the world. It is 170 m high and you can see the beautiful London skyline from the top. It is the centre of London’s celebrations on New York Eve and you can see the most spectacular fireworks.

Kensington Gardens is the richest in the vegetation. The Flower Walk is full of flowers and trees in almost every season. It’s children’s favourite park. There they can play with model boats on the artificial lake, called Round Pond. Other attractions are the famous statue of Peter Pan, and the Serpentine Gallery where modern artist exhibit their works.

The British Museum is one of the greatest museums in the world. It houses antiquities from Egypt, Greece and Rome, collections of archaeology, drawings, coins and medals.

The National Gallery faces Trafalgar Square and houses one of the finest European collections of paintings, dating from the 13th century.

Trafalgar Square is one of the world’s greatest squares. Nelson’s column, 51 metres high, stands in the middle and commemorates Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalgar. Traditional celebrations take place on new year’s Eve around a Christmas tree, donated by the people of Norway to Britain every year.

St Paul’s Cathedral is the largest church in the city of London. It is famous for its dome and it has been the scene of state funerals.

Tower Bridge is the most famous bridge in London. It is 244 metres long and it opens when big ships have to pass. It offers a spectacular view of the River Thames, ST Paul’s Cathedral and the city.

The tower of London is a museum and houses the

Crown Jewels, guarded by the beefeaters. They wear a red coat and black hat, the traditional Tudor uniform. In the past, this medieval fortress was a royal palace and then a prison.

Piccadilly circus is the national meeting place and the heart of the West End. In the midle of the square the statue of Eros is a memorial to Lord Shaftesbury. Soho, London’s nightlife centre wirh its restaurant and cinemas, is nearby.

Westminster Abbey is a gothic masterpiece of the Middle Ages. The Abbey has seen the coronation of all kings and queens since 1066. Many of them are buried within its walls, as well as writers such as Kipling, Chaucer, and composers like Händel.

The Planetarium and Madame Tussaud’s are the two most popular attractions in London. The London Planetarium offerspectacular displays of the sky, the stars and the planets, while Madame Tussad’s is know worldwide for its waxworks representing famous people.

The swiss Re Tower in London’s financial district, is famous for its daring architecture. This new building, opened in 2004, looks like a huge cucumber and uses energy-saving methods. It is 180 metres high and has 41 floors.

Welcome to London! Like all big cities, London has got a large and efficient transport system. This is the London Transport symbol. You can find it at underground stations and bus stops. In London everyone uses the underground it is a quick way to travel around the central area of London. The tube is the familiar name for the London underground. There are 12 lines. Each line has a different name and colour, so it’s easy to travel on it. Use the underground map to plan your journey

A ride on a London bus or a red double-decker is the best way to see the capital. This way, even if the traffic is slow, you can see the busy streets of the West End and the City, crowded with people and full of shops and great buildings. Most London buses are still red, some are different colours, but they all display this sign.

• London’s black taxis are called “cabs”. You can hire them by telephone or hail them in the street. When the yellow sign “for hire” or “taxi” is lit, it means the

The national flag of the United Kingdom is called the Union Jack and dates back to 1601. It consists of three crosses: the red cross of St George and the white cross of St Andrew of Scotland and the blue cross of St Patrick of Ireland. Wales has its own flag, it is green and white with a red dragon.

Coins Paper Money

1) Tommaso Alberti 11) Elena Matacera

2) Andrea Block 12) Mirko Mocali

3) Tommaso Capasso 13) Michele Mortula

4) Debora Carlotti 14) Erica Papasergi

5) Solly Elstein 15) Chiara Parrini

6) Chiara Ercolani 16) Marina Reitano

7) Lorenzo Furgani 17) Marika Signorini

8) Francesca Furi 18) May Straniero

9) Matteo Guerra 19) Lorenzo Zamboni

10) Maxim Lucanciuc