Westminster

Every clay, when people in the UK and overseas switch on their radio to listen to BBC radio news, they can hear one of the most famous sounds in Lon­don: the chimes of Big Ben on the tower of the Houses of Parliament.

The Houses of Parliament occupy a magnificent ¡building on the left bank of the Thames in a part of London railed Westminster2, that has long been connected with royalty and government.

King Edward the Confessor1 built a palace beside the River Thames In the 11th century. His successors made the palace their main residence. Gradually Westminster became the centre of government, At first Parliament was organized to help the monarch rule the country. The monarch called representatives of different groups of people together; so the House of Lords represented the Church and aristocracy, and the House of Commons represented the rich land-owners who expressed the views and interests of their own town or village. In the course of centuries, power gradually phased from the monarch to Parliament. According to the long-standing tradition, the Queen still the new session of Parliament each autumn by reading the Queen's Speech in the House of Lords. Another tradition is that the Queen is not allowed to enter the house of Commons. This tradition goes back to the time of Charles I, more than three hundred years ago, and reminds everybody that the monarch must not try to govern the country.

Westminster Abbey. Opposite the Houses of Parliament stands Westminster Abbey1. A church has stood here since Saxon times, when

 

[1] Westminster Abbey ['wcsiminsts'aebi] Вестминстерское аб­батство

 

it was known as West Monastery (West­minster), because of its position to the west of London's cen­tre. Since William the Conqueror's times British monarchs have been crowned there, and since the 13th century they, have been buried there. Many other famous people are also buried in West­minster Abbey.

Whitehall. The street called Whitehall stretches from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. Whitehall is often associated with the government of Britain.

Downing Street1, which is a small side street off Whitehall, is the home of the Prime Minister who lives at number ten. Next door, at number eleven, lives the Chancellor of the Exchequer2, who is responsible for I financial planning and the British economy. Just around the corner, in Whitehall itself, are all the important ministries: the Foreign Office3, the Ministry of Defence4, the Home Office5 and the Treasury6.

 

j Downing Street f'daunit},stri:t] — Даунинг стрит |

the Chancellor ['tja ¡nssb] of the Exchequer [iks'tjeka] —MhhuCI финансов

В the Foreign Office ['fonn'ofis] — Министерство иностранных Дел

the Home Office — Министерство внутренних дел * the Treasury [Чгезоп] — Государственное казначейство

 

In the middle of Whitehall is the Cenotaph1, a monument to the fallen2 in the two world wars of the 20th century. According to tradition, on Remembrance Day3, the Sunday nearest to November 11, the Queen lays a wreath of poppies4 at the Cenotaph. People of Britain remember their dead from the two world wars by wearing a red paper poppy.

QUESTIONS

1. In what part of London is the building of the Houses of Parliament situated? What is Big Ben?

2. Which two parts does British Parliament consist of?

3. How does the Queen open the new session of Par­liament each autumn?

4. What is the origin of the tradition according to which the Queen is not allowed to enter the House of Commons?

5. What English king built Westminster Abbey? What is Westminster Abbey famous for?

6. What important buildings are situated in or near Whitehall?

7. What is the Cenotaph? What ceremony is held at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day?