New English File - Culture link

The United Kingdom (UK) is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The four capitals of the United Kingdom’s constituent countries are London (England), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), and Belfast (Northern Ireland). London is also the capital of the UK. London is the capital city of England and the UK. It is in the south east of England, and is on the river Thames. It has a population of approximately 8 million people. London has many famous monuments such as the Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye. It also has well-known museums and galleries such as the British Museum, the National Gallery, and Tate Modern. The West End, with locations like Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, and Piccadilly Circus is London's entertainment and shopping district. London's tallest building is One Canada Square in Canary Wharf. It has 52 floors! For a big city, London has many green spaces, for example Hyde, St James’, and Greenwich parks. The Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, is the home of the Government of the UK. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second largest city after Glasgow. Edinburgh is in south-east Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, on the North Sea. It is the seat of the Scottish Parliament. Edinburgh has a total population of around 450,000. In August, during the Edinburgh festival, its population doubles! Its main attractions include Edinburgh Castle which is at the top of an extinct volcano, and the Royal Mile - the historical street which leads down from the Castle. Visitors should also take in Holyrood House, St Giles Cathedral, Princes Street for shopping, and the magnificent Forth Rail Bridge on the Firth of Forth. Edinburgh's most famous park is Princes Street Cardens. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and its largest city. It has a population of approximately 280,000 people. Belfast is on Northern Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Lagan. Many parts of the city centre are being redeveloped. New developments include Victoria Square, the Cathedral Quarter and the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter (the ocean liner Titanic was built in Belfast). Belfast has over forty public parks. One of the most popular is the Botanic Cardens. The Northern Ireland Assembly is in Belfast, at Stormont. Cardiff, on the country’s south coast, is the capital city of Wales. The river Taff flows through this city with a population of approximately 321,000 people. Cardiff has many beautiful places of interest, and is one of the top ten cities to visit according to the British Tourist Authority. One of the cities oldest monuments is Cardiff Castle. Other places to visit are the Wales Millennium Centre, home to the Welsh National Opera, the Millennium Sports stadium, and the National Museum and Gallery. Cardiff's town centre is very green - its most famous parks are Roath park, Cathays park and Bute park. Cardiff is also one of the best places for shopping in the UK! (...) Alcohol affects your ability to drive safely. You may feel fine but you are not. Drinking alcohol seriously affects your driving. It can slow down your reactions or overstimulate you and cause you to take risks. Even if you drink one glass of wine, a can, or a bottle of beer you are 30-40% less reactive than someone who has not drunk anything.