Big Ben (Engl. Big Ben — the name of the largest of the six bells of Westminster Palace in London, often the name refers to the clock and Clock tower as a whole.
At the time of casting big Ben was the largest and heaviest (13,7 tons) a bell United Kingdom. In 1881 yielded to the bell Big Paul (English).Russian. (17 tons).
It is believed that the bell was named big Ben (Big Ben) in honor of sir Benjamin Hall, the curator of the construction work. According to another version, he is named in honor of Benjamin count (eng.)Russian., popular boxer in the heavyweight division
The tower was built by English architect Augustus Pugin in the Gothic revival style, 1859, the tower clock started on 31 may 1859.
The height of the tower, including the spire — 96.3 meters. The lower part of the clock mechanism located at a height of 55 meters.
The official name until September 2012 was the "Clock tower of Westminster Palace", in the press it was often called St. Stephen's Tower. According to the decision of the British Parliament renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
The big clock of Westminster are the second largest in the world (next to the clock of the city Hall of Minneapolis) four-sided clock with fight.
The clock was designed by sir Edmund Beckett (English).Russian. and the astronomer Royal George airy. The creation of the watch was instructed in watchmaking master Edward John dent (English).Russian., after whose death in 1853 construction was headed by his stepson Frederick dent. Frederick completed the work in 1854.
The pendulum clock is installed inside the wind-proof box, located below the room with a clockwork mechanism. Its length is 4 meters, weight 300 kg. the pendulum is 2 seconds. The accuracy of the clock is regulated using coins, which are placed on the pendulum: the old (dodecahedra) coin 1 penny accelerates its motion by 0.4 seconds per day.
The total weight of the movement — 5 tons.
The dial diameter is 7 meters.
The length of the arrows is 2.7 and 4.2 meters.
At the base of each of the four dials is a Latin inscription "Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostram Victoriam primam" ("God save our Queen Victoria the First").
At the perimeter of the tower, to the right and to the left of the clock, is another phrase in Latin — "Laus Deo" ("Glory to God" or "praise the Lord")
July 27, 2012 from 8:12 to 8:15 the clock struck 30 times in honor of the opening of the XXX Olympic games. For the first time since 1952 chimes were working out the schedule.
1 he isn't playing chess now.
Is he playing chess now?
2 she isn't going to the cinema now?
Is she going to the cinema now?
3 they aren't singing now.
Are they singing now?
4 we aren't reading books now.
Are we reading books now?
The Sorrow of Demeter
Demeter was the Goddess of the earth and harvest. She had a daughter Persephone. Once when Persephone was gathering flowers with her girl – friends in the field the earth opened and a chariot appeared before her. A gloomy – looking man got out of the chariot, seized Persephone, put her into the chariot, and the earth closed over them. The friends of Persephone looked for her for a long time, and when evening came they told Demeter everything. Demeter became very sad. She went over land and sea looking for her daughter. She went to Helios who told her that Persephone had been taken away by Hades to the underworld. The sorrow of Demeter was great, she was weeping all the time, she never smiled. Everything on the earth began to fade. There was no fruit upon the trees, no flowers on the ground. Zeus understood that if he didn’t help to solve this difficult problem, everything would die.
So he sent Hermes down to Hades, the dark king to ask him to allow Persephone to see her mother. But before Hades let her go, he had given her a pomegranate to eat, because he knew that if she ate a pomegranate she would return. Then the great chariot was brought before the door of the palace. Hermes and Persephone stepped in it and drove away.
When Demeter saw her daughter, her joy was greater than her sorrow had been. She said: “I have not seen you for such a long time. I’ll never let yon go again to the dark kingdom of Hades”.
But Persephone said she would have to go back to Hades in six months because she had eaten the pomegranate. She said that Hades was very kind to her, though he never smiled and everything in his palace was dark. Hades promised to let her stay with Demeter for six months every year. Another six months she was to spend with him.
Demeter was happy for her daughter, and everything that grew on earth felt that her anger and sorrow had passed. The hills and gardens were green again and the corn in the fields became golden.
The six months passed and Hermes came with the chariot to take Persephone to the dark kingdom. She asked Demeter not to weep. “When six months pass Hades will let me come to you again”, she said. But Demeter was in sorrow again thinking of the happy days when Persephone was a child and gathered flowers in the fields and played with other girls. Now every year when Persephone goes to the kingdom of Hades everything on earth begins to fade and autumn comes. When Persephone comes back to her mother spring begins. Nature awakens from its long winter sleep.
2 listening
3 are studying
4 is wearing
5 using
6 does
7 do you often write letters
Ex. 1 page 54 Robert wants to buy a CD player while he is in Orlando. Ted’s elder manager of ElectroHype, an electrical goods supermarket. Robert goes to work. — Роберт хочет купить проигрыватель компакт-дисков, пока он находится в Орландо. Тэд — старший менеджер из ElectroHype, супермаркет электрических товаров. Роберт идет на работу.
Listen to the conversation without looking at the text and answer the question: How much does Robert pay for his new CD player? — Послушайте разговор, не глядя на текст и ответьте на вопрос: Сколько Роберт заплатил за свой новый проигрыватель компакт-дисков?
Wayne: Hi, Robert. How are you doing? — Привет, Роберт. Как дела?
Robert: Fine, Wayne. – Отлично, Уэйн.
Wayne: Now, what can I do for you? – Что я могу для тебя сделать?
Robert: Well, I’d like to buy a personal CD player. — Ну, я бы хотел купить проигрыватель компакт-дисков.
Wayne: Sure, well, this Komsai is very good. And it only costs a hundred and thirty-nine dollars. — Конечно, хорошо, это Комсаи очень хороший. И стоит всего сто тридцать девять долларов.
Robert: Where was it made? — Где он сделан?
Wayne: It was made in Japan. Nearly all these CD players were made in Japan. — Он был сделан в Японии. Почти все эти проигрыватели компакт-дисков были сделаны в Японии.
Robert: Are any of them made in the USA? – А какие-либо из них сделаны в США?
Wayne: Er… no. They used to be but now everything is imported from Japan. These computers are made in the USA but a lot of the components are made in Japan. They’re just assembled in the USA. If all the parts were made in the USA, the computers would be very expensive. — Э-э … нет. Они производились, но сейчас все импортируется из Японии. Эти компьютеры производятся в США, но много компонентов производится в Японии. Их просто собирают в США. Если бы все части делали в США, компьютеры были бы очень дорогие.
Robert: I see. Well, which CD player would you buy? – Я понял. Ну, какой проигрыватель компакт-дисков ты бы купил?
Wayne: If I were you, I’d buy this CD player, the PSV. It’s a good price, it’s very reliable and it makes a great sound. I’ve got one myself. Here, try it. – На твоем месте, я бы купил этот проигрыватель компакт-дисков, PSV. Это хорошая цена, он очень надежный и дает отличный звук. У меня у самого есть. Вот, попробуй.
Robert: Wow! That’s fantastic! How much is it? — Вау! Это круто! Сколько он стоит?
Wayne: It’s a hundred and fifty dollars including tax. — Сто пятьдесят долларов, включая налог.
Robert: OK. I’ll take it. – Хорошо. Я возьму его.
Wayne: Great! I’m sure you’ll be pleased with it. — Отлично! Я уверен, что ты будешь доволен.