Track 1
READING
UNIT 1A
WHAT IS GREAT BRITAIN FAMOUS FOR?
Great Britain is famous for many things: its long history, its Royal Family, its well-known scientists, writers, artists, pop stars, sports personalities, and its Scottish kilts and pipes. However, we mustn’t forget London’s red double-decker buses, Wimbledon and the country’s massive cathedrals and legendary sites, either. It is also famous for its breakfast, its afternoon tea, its pubs, the legend of Robin Hood, and numerous other things. BIG BEN
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Big Ben is one of London’s best-known tourist landmarks. It looks really spectacular at night when the clock faces are illuminated. The name ‘Big Ben’ actually refers not to the clock-tower, but to the huge thirteen tonne bell that sounds every hour. The clock is famous for its accuracy. It has slowed down only once – on New Year’s Eve 1962 because of heavy snow, causing it to ring in the New Year 10 minutes late.
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The bells of the Great Clock rang out across London for the first time in 1859, and Parliament had a special sitting to decide on a suitable name for the great hour bell. During the debate, Sir Benjamin Hall, a large, heavy man known by the nickname ‘Big Ben’, stood up and gave an impressive, long speech on the subject. When he finished, someone shouted out: “Why don’t we call it Big Ben?” That’s how the bell got its name. At least, this is the most commonly accepted story.
AFTERNOON TEA It is not a drink, but a small meal consisting of tea (or coffee) served with either delicious sweet food, such as biscuits and cakes, or sandwiches with cold meat, cheese on toast, etc. Nowadays, most ordinary British families do not have time for afternoon tea at home, but in the past it was a tradition that became popular one hundred and fifty years ago, when rich ladies invited their friends to their houses for an afternoon cup of tea and started offering their guests sandwiches and cakes, too.
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