текст на тему "Big Ben"
методическая разработка по английскому языку

Big Ben is the largest of the six bells in Westminster Palace. Many people think that it’s a name of the clock tower in London, but in fact the name refers to the bell, which is inside of the tower behind the clock dial.

The official name of Big Ben was the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. In 2012, by the decision of the British Parliament, this attraction of England was renamed to Elizabeth Tower (in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s reign).

Despite other names, the name "Big Ben" remains the most popular and is used for the general designation of the tower, clock and bell.

The size of the tower with the spire is 96.3 meters. It is the high level of a 16-story building.

There are no elevators or lifts in the tower, that is why it is closed for intensive public use.

The clock on the Big Ben Tower in London is the largest in the world by far. The diameter of the dial is 7 meters. The length of the arrows is 2.7 and 4.2 meters.

Interesting facts:

• The London Clock is an international standard of time
• News programs in England start with a picture of the tower.
• The image of Big Ben is used almost in all openings of documentary and feature films about England.
• Once, in the tower of Big Ben, there was a prison for parliamentarians who acted violently at the meetings of parliament. The last prisoner was Emmeline Pankhurst, a political activist that fought for women's rights. In honor of her, there is a monument on the Parliament Square, where Big Ben stands.