London as one of the most fascinating cities

Topic # 1 

London Eye 

London as One of the Most Fascinating Capitals of the World

     I'd like to speak about London which is the largest city as well as the capital of England and United Kingdom. It is located on the bank of  River Thames. The city attracts millions of visitors as, on the one hand, it is an ancient  city which has seen a lot of historical events, but, on the other hand, it is a modern city with lots of places of entertainment and world's famous shopping centers. 

Though it is an old city, it has become one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centers. It influences politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts and is a global city. 

    Besides, London has got some famous tourist attractions such as The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St.Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
If you are going on a tour of London, you should visit The Tower of London first. It is one of the most famous fortresses in the world. It is a 900-year old royal palace and fortress, housing a prison, place of execution (killing criminals), mint, arsenal, zoo and jewel house. 
The place of great interest is, I'm sure, Madam Tussauds, which brings you face to face with the world's most known faces. It holds life-size wax models of well-known celebrities of the world. 
   Another worth visiting attraction here is the London Eye. It is the world's highest observation wheel and offers spectacular views of over 55 of London's most famous landmarks. 
 Besides, St.Paul's Cathedral is the seat of Bishop of London and is popular with visitors. 
 London also offers a number of museums to be visited. British Museum exhibits (shows) works dating from the prehistoric era to the present times, collected from all over the globe. Next is the National Gallery, which houses the greatest collection of paintings in the world. Its collection includes works of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Turner, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Apart from this, Natural History Museum displays  a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. 
  Moreover, London has got a large number of parks and gardens. The largest parks located in the central part of the city are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park. 
  London can be called an entertainment hub (center), as it offers so much to its visitors. The nightlife of the city is extremely hip and rocking. There are a number of bars, clubs, restaurants and galleries. You can do the shopping at Oxford Street, which is the longest shopping street in the world. 
New Words: 

1. event  -  событие 
2. entertainment  -  развлечение 
3. leading - ведущий 
4. influence - влиять 
5. media - newspapers, radio, TV, the Internet 
6. attraction - sight - достопримечательность 
7. execution - казнь 
8. mint - монетный двор 
9. arsenal - хранилище оружия 
10. display - show  - показывать 
11. hub - центр 

The Houses of Parliament