London

1. A B
1. There are in fact 3 cities in the River Thames
London: over the River Thames
2. London stands on live in London
3. There are 27 bridges under the River Thames
4. More that 7 million people the City, the East End, the West End
5. There are 8 tunnels
6. London is 46 kilometres from east to west
7. London is 58 kilometres from north to south
At the beginning of the l l t h century England was already a big country
and London was a very important city. In 1066 William
the Conqueror and his people went to England from Normandy in France.
William the Conqueror became King of England. The King lived in
London. Many of his people lived in London too. But William was afraid of
the English, of the people of London and he built the White Tower to live
it. Later a lot of other buildings appeared around the White Tower with a thick stone wall and a
wide ditch with water. They became a real powerful fortress with prisons and the royal treasury.
Now this complex is one of the most famous London museums. Many people visit it every
year.
All Kings and Queens of England lived in London, which became the biggest city in
England. By 1600 there were more than two hundred thousand (200000) people in
London.
In those days people usually built houses of wood, and they often were near one
another. Sometimes there were fires in the city, but they were usually very small.
Then came l666, the year of the Great Fire of London.
On Saturday, 2nd September 1666 there was a strong wind from the river and a big
fire began. It started in the house of the king's baker
near London Bridge. ,'
The baker's wife woke up in the middle of the night because the house was on fire. Soon the
next house started burning and the next and the next… The fire burnt until Thursday and
destroyed about 80% of the city. More than 250 thousand people didn't have home more.
After the Great Fire people built a new city. The city became larger and larger.
By 1830 there were more than one and a half million people.
Then railways came and London became richer and richer, but it didn't become
nicer. The city became dark and dirty, and people lived in bad houses.
There are still poor people and dirty places in London today, but life is
better now as there are many new houses and flats. The city is also
much cleaner.
Find the answers to the following questions in the text.
1. When did England become a great country?
2. Where did William the Conqueror come from?
3. Where did William the Conqueror live when he was King?
4. What was and what is the White Tower? 5. How many people lived in London by 1600?
6. Where and when did the Great Fire of London start?
7. What is life like in London today?