Test 5. London quiz

1. Who gave London its first name?

a) the Egyptians b) the Greeks c) the Romans

2. Who founded the Tower of London?

a) Charles I b) William I c) Henry VIII

3. Which is the oldest part of London?

a) Westminster b) the City c) the West End

4. Who designed St Paul's Cathedral?

a) Christopher Wren b) Benjamin Hall c) Francis Drake

5. Where are the British kings and queens crowned?

a) at St Paul's Cathedral b) in Westminster Abbey

c) in the House of Lords

6. Which birds, according to legend, protect the Tower of London?

a) pigeons b) ravens c) swans

7. Which is the most famous shopping street in London?

a) Oxford Street b) Downing Street c) Baker Street

8. What is 'the Globe' in London?

a) a department store in Europe

b) Cockney rhyming slang for 'hope'

c) a Shakespearean theatre

9. Which museum is situated at 221B Baker Street?

a) the Tate Modern b) Madam Tussaud's

c) Sherlock Holmes Museum

10. What's the popular name for the underground system in London?

a) the Tunnel b) the Channel c) the Tube

11. What is the London Eye?

a) a telescope b) an observation wheel c) a newspaper

12. Which former London resident has been voted 'the greatest Briton of all time'?

a) Sir Winston Churchill b) Charles Darwin c) John Lennon

13. Big Ben is________

a) the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament b) the clock

c) the largest bell at the top of the tower

14. Which is the largest and oldest museum in Britain?

a) the British Museum b) the National Gallery

c) Madam Tussaud's

15. There are a lot of important parts in London. The oldest part is_______

a) the East End b) the City c) Westminster

16. The Tower of London was once a prison and now it is a________

a) concert hall b) theatre c) museum

17. ________ is one of the central streets of London with the editorial offices of many English newspapers and magazines.

a) Downing Street b) Fleet Street c) Whitehall

18. What bridge was built in 2000?

a) the London eye b) the New Millennium Bridge

c) London Bridge

1. UK HOLIDAYS, TRADITIONS, AND CUSTOMS

Almost everything you come across in Britain is a result of a long history. The British are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.

There are fewer public holidays in Great Britain than in other European countries. They are called bank holidays, because the banks as well as most of the offices and shops are closed. These holidays are: New Year's Day (January 1st), Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day (first Monday in May), Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May), August Bank Holiday (last Monday in August), Christmas Day (December 25th), Boxing Day (December 26th).

The most popular holiday is Christmas. Every year, the people of Norway give the city of London a present. It's a big Christmas tree and it stands in Trafalgar Square. The central streets are beautifully decorated. On Christmas Day the Queen gives her traditional Christmas speech to the UK and the Commonwealth on television. Christmas is a family holiday. Relatives usually meet for the big Christmas dinner of turkey and Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents.

New Year's Day is not so popular in England as in our country, but it is rather popular in Scotland. There Hogmanay, the eve of New Year's Day, is the biggest festival of the year. On that day people usually visit their friends and there is a lot of dancing and eating. In Scotland people bring a piece of coal for good luck in the New Year.

The next not official holiday of the year is St. Valentine's Day. It is on the 14th of February. People buy or make Valentine cards and send them to the people they love. They don't sign their cards – you must guess who sent the cards to you.

In March there is Mother's Day. All the children, little or adult ones, come to their mothers on that day to express their love and gratitude.

In April there is Easter, a religious holiday. At Easter time, children eat chocolate Easter eggs. Sometimes parents hide them in the house or in the garden and children have to look for them.

April Fool's Day is a day for fun. People play jokes and tricks on one another. One is to tell someone that something is wrong with their dress when in fact all is in order.

In June there is Father's Day. On Father's Day children give or send their fathers and grandfathers cards and presents.

On the 31st of October there is Hallowe'en. They say ghosts and witches come out on Hallowe'en. People make lanterns out of pumpkins. Some people have Hallowe'en parties and dress as witches and ghosts.

Besides the mentioned holidays, there are some special festivals in Great Britain. One of them takes place on the 5th of November. On that day, in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. He didn't succeed. The King's men found the bomb, took Guy Fawkes to the Tower and cut off his head. Since that day, the British celebrate Guy Fawkes Night on the 5th of November. They burn a dummy called a ''guy'' of straw and old clothes, on a bonfire and let off fireworks.

There are a lot of funny customs and traditions in Britain, for example, in March, there is a day for Pancakes. In some villages and towns there is a pancake race every year. Mothers of families run these races. They must run four hundred metres with the pancake on the frying pan in their hands.

Red Nose Day. For one day every two years, Britain goes crazy. People all over the country (even police officers and teachers) wear red noses and do silly things, (wear red clown noses, have red hair, wild hairdos or funny wigs on). It's Red Nose Day – the day when doing really stupid things can raise loads of money for charity. Buying a red nose is one of the ways of giving money to a special organization – Comic Relief. It costs 1 pound and at least 70p goes to charity. All the money raised on Red Nose Day goes to people who need it most – to poor and disadvantaged children in Britain and in Africa. Around one-third is given to projects working in the UK and around two-thirds goes to projects working in Africa. So, Red Nose Day is comic but very serious. It helps millions of orphans, people living with AIDS and kids whose parents are drug addicts or alcoholics.

1. What are the names of public holidays in Britain?

2. What is the most popular holiday in Great Britain?

3. What does a piece of coal as a New Year present symbolize?

4. What have you learnt about Guy Fawkes Night?

5. Would you like to have Red Nose Day in Russia?

6.1. Match the holidays on the left with what you know about them on the right.