Places of interest of London

Text 57. BUCKINGHAM PALACE

This is the place where the Royal Family lives. The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace for much of the year. When the Queen is in the residence the Royal standards flutter over the Palace. You can see Guard and Horse Guard there. The soldiers in old-fas­hioned dress stand there. There is a joke that they are here to guard the Palace, to look nice and to give visitors something to gaze at. The сhanging of the Guard takes place here in the mor­ning. On the Queen’s birthday there is a Guard’s parade.

Answer the following questions:

1. Who lives in Buckingham Palace?

2. How can you know that the Queen is in the palace?

3. When does the changing of the Guard take place?

Text 58. HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

On the bank of the river Thames stand the Houses of Parlia­ment. This building is not old. It was built in the middle of the last century. The building became the meeting place of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. At the end of the building is the Clock Tower famous for its clock called Big Ben. Big Ben is the biggest clock in the country. When Parliament is sitting at night, there is a light burning at the top of this tower.

Answer the following questions:

1. Where are the Houses of Parliament situated?

2. What happens here?

3. What is Big Ben?