Plant and Animal Life

England shares with the rest of Britain a diminished spectrum of vegetation and living creatures.

Today only a small part of the English countryside is woodland. Broad-leaved (oak, beech, ash, birch, and elm) and conifer (pine, fir, spruce, and larch) trees dominate the landscapes of Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Suffolk, and Hampshire. A substantial amount of England's forestland is privately owned.

Certain Mediterranean species of plants exist in the sheltered and almost subtropical valleys of the southwest, while tundra-like vegetation is found in parts of the moorland of the northeast. England has a profusion of summer wildflowers in its fields, lanes, and hedgerows. Cultivated gardens, which contain many species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants from around the world, account for much of the varied vegetation of the country.

Mammal species such as the bear, wolf, and beaver were exterminated in historic times, but others such as the fallow deer, rabbit, and rat have been introduced.

The bird life is unusually varied, mainly because England lies along the route of bird migrations. About 100 different species are recorded annually.

Foxes in small numbers have colonized woods and heaths within a short distance of the centre of London. There are few kinds of reptiles and amphibians — about half a dozen species of each.

Freshwater fish are numerous; the char and allied species of the lakes of Cumbria probably represent an ancient group, related to the trout. The marine fishes are abundant in species and in absolute numbers.

The great diversity of shorelines produces habitats for numerous types of animals.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

abundant in – обильный, богатый, имеющийся в изобилии, изобилующий (in - чем-л.)

allied species - родственные виды

amphibian – амфибия; земноводный

ash - ясень

beech - бук, буковое дерево

birch - берёза

broad-leaved - широколистный

char - ручьевая форель, пеструшка

conifer - хвойное дерево

diminished - сокращенный; ослабленный; истощенный

elm - вяз, ильм

(to) exterminate - искоренять; истреблять, ликвидировать

fallow deer - лань

fir - пихта; ель (тж. некоторые другие виды хвойных деревьев)

habitat - родина, место распространения, ареал (животного, растения); естественная среда (natural habitat — естественная среда обитания)

heath – вереск

hedgerow - зеленое ограждение

larch - лиственница

living creatures – живые существа

mammal - млекопитающее

oak - дуб

pine - сосна

profusion - изобилие, богатство; избыток; обильность, чрезмерность

reptile - рептилия

shoreline - береговая линия

spectrum - спектр, диапазон (spectra – мн.ч.)

species - вид, разновидность

spruce – ель; хвойное дерево

trout - форель

vegetation - растительность

 

 

London

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom.

London is today one of the world's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the major global cities.

London is the most populous city within city limits in the European Union with an official population of 7.6 million and has a metropolitan area population of around 13 million people. Its population is very cosmopolitan (a wide range of peoples, cultures and religions, speaking over 300 different languages). London is an international transport hub (centre), with five international airports and a large port. It serves as the largest aviation hub in the world, and its main airport, the multi terminal Heathrow, carries more international passengers than any other airport in the world.

Inner London includes the original City of London and 13 of London's 33 boroughs; Greater London includes all 33 boroughs.

One area of London which does have a strict definition is the City of London (usually just called The City), the largest financial district and central business district (CBD) in Europe. The City has its own governance and boundaries, giving it a status as the only completely autonomous local authority in London.

The West End is London's main entertainment and shopping district, with locations such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus acting as tourist magnets. The West London area is known for fashionable and expensive residential areas such as Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Chelsea — where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds.

The eastern side of London contains the East End and East London. The East End is the area closest to the original Port of London, known for its high immigrant population, as well as for being one of the poorest areas in London. North London and South London are informal divisions of the capital made by the River Thames.

London is a major tourist destination, with four world heritage sites and numerous iconic landmarks such as Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye amongst its many attractions, along with famous institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and so on.

Exhibitions of wax figures are still popular, the most famous being those of Marie Tussaud in London. Her museum contains a variety of historical figures, including the original models she made of her great contemporaries, including Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin.

British Museum is a Britain's national museum of archaeology and antiquities, established in London in 1753 when the government purchased three large private collections consisting of books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, paintings, medals, coins, seals, cameos, and natural curiosities.

The British Library is now one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of books, drawings, Chinese ceramics and the natural-history collections.

Tate Gallery is an art museum housing the national collection of British painting and sculpture and of modern British and European art since 1870. It is named after Sir Henry Tate (1819-1899), a sugar refiner and inventor of the sugar cube, who donated his collection of Victorian art to the nation in 1890.

There are many famous historic landmarks in London. The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. The Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the London borough of the City of Westminster.

Big Ben is one of the most famous landmarks in the world. The clock tower is situated on the banks of the River Thames and is part of the Palace of Westminster. Officially Big Ben is only the name of the biggest of the five bells in the clock tower also known as St Stephen's Tower.

Buckingham Palace is one of the most popular landmarks in London. It is the London home of the British Royal family. The 600 room palace is surrounded by a 40 acre garden.

Tower of London on the north banks of the River Thames, was built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion in 1066. It has been added to over the years by the various monarchs. The Tower, or Bloody Tower as it is known, has been host to many famous executions and imprisonments, including those of Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter Raleigh. The Jewel House, which houses the Crown Jewels, lies within the confines of the Tower of London.

The London Eye, next to County Hall, is another of London’s most modern landmarks. It is the world’s biggest ferries wheel, and will carry 800 passengers at a time on a thirty-minute ride. From its highest point of 450 feet, it promises views of up to 25 miles.

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most popular landmarks in London The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the second biggest dome in the world, after St Peter's in Rome.

The Millennium Dome in London is the largest dome in the world, covering

over 180 acres; it is 320m in diameter and 50m high with support towers

reaching 100m. It was built on the Greenwich Meridian (0 degrees longitude) to commemorate the ringing in of the new millennium.

There are many monuments in London: The Monument in the City of London commemorating the Great Fire of London; Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington; Nelson's Column is a nationally-recognised monument in Trafalgar Square.

Often called "The Green City" London has a number of parks. The largest of these are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbours Kensington Gardens and Holland Park Gardens in the centre of London, Regent's Park on the northern edge, Royal Parks of Greenwich Park to the south east, and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the south west of the city centre.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

antiquity - древность; старина; классическая древность, античность

borough - городок, небольшой город

(to) confine - заключать в тюрьму; заточать, держать взаперти

dome – купол

(to) donate - дарить, жаловать, жертвовать

execution - казнь; уничтожение, разрушение

ferris wheel - чертово колесо ( аттракцион )

hub - центр ( событий, внимания, деятельности )

landmark – достопримечательность

imprisonment - заключение

metropolitan area - столичная зона; большой Лондон (включающий все муниципальные районы)

 

Abbreviation

archit. - architecture

B.L. – British Library

bldg(s) – building(s)

boro. – borough

CBD - central business district

Lond. – London