8.What makes London a city of contrasts?

London is a city of great contrasts. The atmosphere one breathes in commemorative Trafalgar square, magnificent Regent Street or in Piccadilly Circus is a far cry from the smart, refined and exclusive atmosphere of the Gentlemen’s Clubs in Pall Mall. The elegant Georgian buildings of Mayfair are not very distant in geographical terms from the noisy streets of Soho lined with red-light cinemas and restaurants, or from Knightsbridge, home to the thousand shining lights of Harrods, London’s most famous and popular department store.

The western part of London is the richest part of the city with its cosy mansions, beautiful avenues, shops, restaurants and hotels. The West End is a symbol of wealthy high class as they say.

The best and most expensive clubs, theatres, shops, and restaurants are here. You can't leave the city without visiting Hyde Park with Kensington Gardens, the really national London Park, the place of all sorts of national parades.

When you are walking along its shady avenues, sitting on the grass, admiring its flowerbeds or watching swans and ducks floating on the ponds, it seems almost unbelievable that all around there is a large city with its heavy traffic and smoke.

The East End is the district inhabited by the poor. A lot of people live from hand to mouth in its miserable houses. Industry is chiefly found in that part of the city, grey with soot and smoke. The East End is in many ways the "real" London. Those who live in the East End are often called Cockneys, i. e. true Londoners. They have got their own peculiar dialect and accent.

In fact, the population of London is the most cosmopolitan in the world. These days it is not easy to find a Londoner who can say, ‘I was born in London as were my father, my grandmother, and my great-grandfather before me’. Every third resident of the city was not born in the UK, and in some areas of London, immigrants from other countries make up half of the residents. Immigrants from India dominate 10 out of 33 London boroughs. According to official statistics, in some areas, including Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Harrow, more than half of the residents were born abroad.

The architecture of London is also very diverse. London's architectural heritage involves many architectural styles from different historical periods. London's architecture ranges from the Romanesque central keep of The Tower of London, the great Gothic church of Westminster Abbey to Christopher Wren's Baroque masterpiece St Paul's Cathedral.

There is no such thing as one “authentic” London. It is simultaneously a tourist haven, a party town, a financial powerhouse, a capital of learning, culture and commerce and plenty besides, all taking place within a chaotic setting of urban deprivation, suburban averageness and privileged leafy luxury.

9.Explain how this or that London Street got it name.

Names of various streets and districts are often connected with the history of the country and the city. However, names of streets are usually so old and so changed that only few people know how this or that street got its name. You can walk along the streets and then suddenly see quite a strange name of a street, square or even building, but you will probably forget about it and therefore miss the opportunity to submerge in the sea of knowledge, history and fascinating facts.

The streets of London are rich in history. London has many strange and unusual names attributed to its streets.

There is a street in London called Bleeding Heart Yard that itself is a large T-shaped courtyard.

There is a Devil legend associated with Bleeding Heart Yard that ends in the horrific death of Lady Elizabeth Hatton. The scene of the legend is a grand ball at Hatton House on 26 January 1626. Lady Hatton attracted a lot of attention as she danced throughout the night. Part way through the evening the ballroom doors opened and in walked a man dressed very finely, who took Lady Hatton in a hold and they proceeded to dance a circuit of the room. The man was a European Ambassador (usually described as Spanish) and sometimes described as having a slight hunched shoulder and a clawed right hand. The couple finished their circuit of the ballroom then they danced out through the doors into the garden. The guests gossiped throughout the night, waiting to see if the couple would return after their trip outside, which they did not. The following morning the body of Lady Hatton was discovered in a cobbled courtyard behind the stable block of Hatton House (now known as Bleeding Heart Yard), her body had been ripped apart, her limbs torn off, yet her heart was still pumping blood out over the cobbles. It was then realised that the figure with which she was last seen dancing must have been the Devil.

Urban legend has it that the courtyard's name commemorates the murder of Lady Elizabeth Hatton, second wife of Sir William Hatton, whose family used to own the area.

Elizabeth’s often public disagreements with her husband gave her a reputation as a troublesome woman. That reputation led to the association of Elizabeth Hatton with the urban legend of Bleeding Heart Yard.

The reality is that Elizabeth Hatton was "not" murdered in Bleeding Heart Yard in 1626.

Trey Philpotts of the University of Delaware writes that the courtyard is, in fact, named after a sign dating back to the Reformation that was displayed on a pub called the Bleeding Heart in nearby Charles Street. The sign showed the heart of the Virgin Mary pierced by five swords.