London will host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, making it the first city to host the modern Olympics three times. The games will be centered in a new Olympic Park constructed in Stratford, east London, and will also use existing venues. London is the capital of the UK and has over 7 million residents, with many tourist attractions centered along the River Thames such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye ferris wheel. Transportation includes buses, taxis, trains, and the London Underground subway system.

1. LONDON
Olympic city

2. Location
London is the capital city of Great Britain.
It is in the south-east of England,
on the River Thames.
More than 7 million people live in London.
Millions of tourists visit the city every year.
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3. River Thames
The River Thames flows through London.
It is 338 km long and 245 m wide here.
Even big seaships can visit London.
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4. Transport
It is a very big city, so you can´t walk everywhere.
People travel by car, bike, motorbike, bus, taxi or underground.
There are lots of double-decker buses and black taxis in the
streets of London.
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5. But most of the people travel on the London underground, known
as THE TUBE.
It was the first underground system in the world.
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6. Monuments and buildings
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7. Buckingham Palace
This is the home of the Queen.
The palace has got 600 rooms but the Queen only lives in 12.
Many guards protect the palace. They wear special hats.
There is a ceremony called “The Changing of the Guard”.
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8. Her Majesty
The Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II.
Her husband is the Duke of Edinburgh.
This year she is celebrating her Golden
Jubilee.
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9. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The British Parliament has got more than 1000 rooms.
Big Ben, the big clock tower, is the symbol of London.
It strikes hours.
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10. Trafalgar Square
The name of this square comes from a famous battle in 1805.
In the middle of the square there is Admiral Nelson’s Column, a
captain in that battle.
There are always a lot of people and pigeons on the square.
Every winter there is a big Christmas tree which is a gift from
Norway.
On New Year’s Eve people gather around the tree and hear Big
Ben at midnight.
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11. Westminster Abbey
All English kings have been
crowned and buried in
the church since 1308.
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12. The Tower of London
The Tower of London has been a fortress, a palace, an arsenal, a
mint, a prison, an observatory, a zoo, the home of the Crown
Jewels and a tourist attraction.
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13. Beefeaters
The quards of the Tower are called Beefeaters.
A legend says that if the ravens leave, the Tower and the country
will fall.
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14. Tower Bridge
The most famous bridge in London is Tower bridge.
Tower Bridge is a bascule-bridge.
The bascules will open to let ships pass through.
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15. The London Eye
The London Eye is an enormous wheel next to the River Thames.
It´s 135 metres tall.
You can see incredible views of London from the top.
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16. Museums and art galleries
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17. The National Gallery
This is the National Gallery. It is in Trafalgar Square.
Here you can see paintings of lots of famous artists: Picasso, Van
Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, …
“The sunflowers” by Van Gogh, is here.
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18. Madame Tussauds Waxmuseum
Here you can see famous people, good and bad, made of wax.
This is the King Henry VIII and his wives and the Beatles.
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19. Parks and gardens
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20. Hyde Park
London is also very famous for its parks and gardens.
There you can walk, jog, run, play, have a picnic or simply relax
and get away from the noise.
One of the most famous is Hyde Park and its “Speakers Corner”.
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21. Shops
In London there are more than 40.000 shops.
The most famous shopping centre is Harrods.
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22. Oxford Street
Oxford Street is more than 2 km long and it has got more than 300
shops.
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23. Covent garden
Covent Garden is the centre of street life.
There you can find street entertainers and buskers.
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24. Hamleys
This is the most fascinating toy shop in the world.
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25. A fascinating city
London is a fascinating city.
There is always something to do in London.
Samuel Johnson, a famous English writer, said in 1777:
“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”
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26. London, Olympic city
The 2012 Summer Olympic
Games, officially the Games of
the XXX Olympiad, will take
place in London from 27 July to
12 August 2012.
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27. London will become the first city to officially host the modern
Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908
and in 1948.
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28. The Olympic Park
The main focus of the games will be a new 200 hectare Olympic
Park, constructed on a former industrial site at Stratford in the
east of London. The Games also make use of many venues
which were already in place before the bid.
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29. Olympic mascots:
Wenlock and Mandeville
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