Reading skills
Unit 20 Window on the World
1 Before reading answer the following questions:
1 What do you know about London?
2 Can you think of ve places to visit in London?
2 Read the text and complete the following exercises.
The London Eye, the giant observational wheel,
opened in January 2000. It is now one of the most
popular tourist attractions in London. It has planning
permission for ve years but could become
permanent like the Eiffel Tower. The London Eye
stands in the Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank of
the River Thames. The nearest underground station
is Waterloo. It was built as a focal point for the
nation's celebrations of the new millennium. People
of all ages from around the country are making
special journeys to see this new and exciting giant
wheel. The millionth visitor went on the London Eye
on June 9, 2000.
Couples can now get married on the London Eye in
one of the wheel's pods. The only problem is that
you can't drink champagne because alcohol isn't
allowed.
The Eye is London's fourth tallest structure. It is 135
metres high and weighs 1,600 tonnes. It has 32 pods
which can carry 25 people each. The circular ride
takes 30 minutes and passengers can see many of
the capital's famous landmarks. Some to look out for
are The Globe Theatre, The Tate Gallery,
Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, Big
Ben, The Tower of London and Buckingham Palace.
On a clear day you can see as far as Windsor Castle
and Heathrow Airport.
The architects of the London Eye are husband and
wife team Julia Bareld and David Marks. They won a
competition for ideas to mark the Millennium. They
said: `We were inspired by the Eiffel Tower and the
Statue of Liberty. Our vision was to create
something which people could enjoy and not just
look at. The wheel represents the turning of the
century'.
Language in Use ^ Beginner # Cambridge University Press 2003
3 Match the words from the text with the correct
denition.
1 started a is in a particular position
2 century b the thing that everybody looks at
3 couple c two people together
4 landmark d well known or famous place
5 stands e to remember and celebrate something
6 focal point f a hundred years
7 to mark g began
4 Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 Only young people go on the London Eye. F
2 The ride takes half an hour.
3 The architects got the idea from the pyramids.
4 You can drink anything you want as you go round.
5 The London Eye is near Heathrow Airport.
6 There are three structures taller than the London
Eye in London.
7 The London Eye can carry more than a thousand
people.
5 Write a short description of a famous tourist
attraction in your country.
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PHOTOCOPIABLE ^ Unit 20