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1. London ranks as one of the world’s oldest
and most historic cities. It is the capital of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The city was founded about 43 A.D.,
when the armies of the Roman Empire conquered Britain. They soon built
a seaport on the Thames River near the present-day London Bridge. The
Romans called the port “Londinium”. The name of London comes from this
word.
2. The English policeman has several nicknames
but the most frequently used are “copper” and “bobby”. The first name
comes from the verb to “cop”, meaning to “take” or “capture”, and the
second comes from the first name of Sir Robert (Bobby) Peel (1788-1850)
who reorganized the London police force.
3. One thing about London which every visitor
from abroad admires is the large number of parks. These “lungs” of London,
as they have been called, are like green islands of peace and quiet
in the middle of a noisy sea. They play an important part in helping
to form the city’s character. The best-known parks are the central ones:
St James’s Park, Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, and Kensington gardens. Besides,
every district of London has its parks, great or small. In the north
there is Hampstead Heath, famous for its summer and winter fairs. In
the south there are Richmond Park and Botanical Gardens at Kew and along
the south bank of the Thames is Battersea Park, one of London’s largest.
In the east, there is the large Victoria Park and a host of smaller
ones.
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