The Great Fire of London.Life after the Great Fire

II Main part of the lesson

In those days people usually built houses of wood, and they often were close to each other. So sometimes there were fires in the city, but they were usually small. But on Sunday, 2^nd of September,1666 the Great Fire of London took place. It started in the house of the king's Baker, near London Bridge. On that day there was a strong wind from the river and with the help of the wind the fire quickly grew. As most houses were wooden and were near one another, the fire spread to other homes. Soon the next house started burning and then the next and the next.The fire burnt for four days until Thursday and destroyed 80% of the city.

However, only 6 people lost their lives.More than two hundred fifty thousand people did not have home any more. The ashes burned hot underfoot for days and smoke was reported for weeks, even months. The ground was hot for days after. It was too hot to even walk on!

Life after the Great Fire

After the Great Fire people built a new city. The city became larger and larger. By 1830 there were more than one and a half million people in London. The railways appeared and the city became richer and richer. London had to be almost totally reconstructed. Temporary buildings were erected that were ill-equipped, disease spread easily, and many people died from this and the harsh winter that followed the fire. Shortly after, clever businessmen spotted an opportunity to provide the surety of insurance, though reduced their risk of financial losses by employing men to extinguish fires: the first fire brigades were formed. Sir Christopher Wren planned the new city and the rebuilding of London took over 30 years.

The site where the fire first started is now marked by a 202-feet monument built between 1671 and 1677. The Monument is 202 feet high, because it is 202 feet from the base to where the Great Fire of London started in 1666 (the King's baker's shop, Thomas Farynor's in Pudding Lane). The top of the monument is reached by climbing up the narrow winding staircase of 311 steps.

Today London is the largest cities in the United Kingdom, and it is also the country's economic, transportation, and cultural centre. In addition to its history, art, and politics, London is a popular tourist destination for its wide variety of museums, shops, restaurants, and sports teams. Why don’t you visit it?

Уважно прочитайте інформацію,яка міститься в теоретичному блоці та потім виконайте тест.