of the world, and every year attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. They come to explore
its historic buildings, to see its museums and galleries, its streets and parks, and its people.
The built-up area of Greater London stretches 50 kilometres from east to west and many of
its districts are linked with particular activities, for example, parliamentary and government activity
centres on Parliament Square of Westminster and Whitehall. Just as "Westminster" stands for
Parliament so "Whitehall" is often used as the name for central Government.
Off Whitehall in a small side-street Downing Street — is a quiet, unimpressive house — No.
10 — the official home of Prime Minister.
Just as Wall Street in New York is the centre of commerce and finance so the City of London,
sometimes called "the square mile"23 is the centre for money matters. Here in Threadneedle Street is
the Bank of England — sometimes called "The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street" — the central
banking institution whose pound24 notes form the main currency in the country. Fleet Street near St.
Paul's Cathedral used to be a busy street full of foreign, provincial and London newspaper offices
such as The Daily Express, The Daily Telegraph. 25
21 A. D. = Anno Domini (Lat.): in the year of the Lord, new era ['isre].
22 Greater London includes the suburbs of the city all of which are connected with the centre of London and with each other by
underground railway lines.
23 mile: a measure of length, 1609 metres. English measures of length (yard — 91 cm, foot — 30 cm, inch — 2.5 cm), weight (stone
— 6 kg, pound — 454 g, ounce — 31 g), liquids (gallon — 3.79 lit, pint — 0.57 lit) are not based on the decimal system.
24 pound: a monetary unit circulating in Great Britain. Up to 1971 English money with its pennies, shillings and pounds was not
based on the decimal system either: 12 pence for a shilling, 20 shillings for a pound, 21 shillings for a guinea, the latter got its name
from the first coin struck from gold on the coast of Guinea. In 1971 Britain changed over to, decimal currency system — 100 new
pence to the pound (£). New coins (or pieces) were introduced: the 1/2 p., 2 p., 5 p., 10 p., 20 p. and 50 p. coins.
25 The Daily Express: a "popular" paper for those who prefer entertainment to information. It is largely filled with sporting
news, accounts of crime, advertisements (ads.), gossip of little worth (about private life of society people, film stars, etc.) and strip
cartoons. Other popular papers are The