— Rather!
— Then why not go to the National Gallery and the Tate?
— I'm told one ought to see the British Museum. Do you think I shall have time for that?
— Well, you might, but if I were you, I should leave that for some other day. You could
29 The Duke of Wellington (1769-1852): a famous British general whose army defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815
30 Nelson, Horatio (1758-1805): an English admiral who won the battle of Trafalgar (the Atlantic coast of Spain)
31 In 1973 the library of the British Museum and four other biggest libraries were joined into one — the British Library, which is the
biggest national library in the United Kingdom and one of the biggest and best present-day libraries in the world.
spend a whole day there. It's much too big to be seen in an hour or so.
— I suppose it is. What about going to the Zoo?
— That's not a bad idea. You could spend a couple of hours there comfortably, or even a
whole afternoon, watching the wild animals, birds and reptiles. You could have tea there too.
— I'll do that, then. How do I get there?
— Let me see. I think your best way from here is to walk across Regent's park.
— Is it much of a walk?
— Oh, no, a quarter of an hour or so, but, if you are in a hurry, why not take a taxi?
— I think I will. Ah, here's one coming. Taxi! The Zoo, please.
(From "The Linguaphone English Course")
TEXT С. RED SQUARE
Red Square has witnessed many important events in the life of Russian people. Though time
has changed the face of Red Square it' has remained the main square and the heart of the city.
Visitors from home and abroad stream here to enjoy the beauty of the historic buildings and
monuments of which the Kremlin comes first. The Kremlin represents centuries of Russian history
and one is usually struck by the austere and powerful appearance of its walls and towers.
Like the Tower of London the Kremlin was used as a fortress and a sovereign's residence.
Now it houses the President's office and a number of museums including the Armory Chamber and
the Diamond Fund.
In the centre of the square by the Kremlin wall is the Lenin Mausoleum, erected in 1930 by
A. Shchusev. The architect interpreted the traditions of the pyramids in a modem way and gave the
monument a laconic architectural form which was popular in the twenties. Behind the Mausoleum
there is a necropolis of some outstanding statesmen and political leaders.
On the southern side of Red Square is St. Basil's Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny), a masterpiece
of ancient Russian architecture. It was built in 1555 — 61 in memory of the victory over Kazan