There —are more
than eighty parks in London. The best known parks near the centre of
London —is Hyde Park, Regent's Park and St. James's Park. Hyde Park —is- a
large park of three hundred and forty acres. At the time of King Henry
VIII there —were wild animals in ,the park Today people walk-in the park or
sit on the grass. The Serpentine —is a lake in the middle of Hyde Park. In
summer you can swim in the Serpentine or go out in a boat.
Regent's
Park —is larger than Hyde Park. The London Zoo —is in Regent's Park.
There —are more than six thousand animals and birds in the Zoo. You can visit
the Zoo by boat. The boat goes along the Regent's Canal. There —is also
an open air theatre in Regent's Park. You can see Shakespeare's plays
there in summer.
St. James's Park —is the oldest and the smallest of
these three parks. It —is very near Buckingham Palace. The. lake and
gardens in St. James's Park—are very beautiful.
(B) In A.D. 61, in the
times of the Romans, London (it —was Londi-nium in those days) —was a walled
city. But there —was probably a small settlement even before that time. The
first settlements —were on two hills on the north bank of the Thames. These
places today —are Westminster and St. Paul's.* In the city walls there —were
"gates". Now there — are still several: Bishopsgate and Ludgate —are two of them.