3 The following sentences are false. Correct them.
1 The London Marathon starts at Buckingham Palace.
2 International athletes participate in the marathon for fun.
3 The Boat Race takes place in Oxford and Cambridge.
4 All university students can participate in the Boat Race.
5 Totally Thames takes place at the end of September.
6 Fireworks are the theme of Totally Thames.
7 Families usually make a Christmas pudding at home!
8 The competitors in the Christmas Pudding Race run with a Christmas pudding in their hands.




The London Marathon
You can see the most extraordinary things running in the streets of London in April every year:(telephone boxes) Viking ships, giant rabbits! It's the London Marathon, one of the craziest races in the world!
Competitors in the London Marathon run for about 42 kilometres. The route usually follows the River Thames from the east of London, past the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament. and finishes in front of Buckingham Palace. The race offers big prizes and attracts international athletes, who try to set world records. But it is not just about breaking records. The marathon is not only a great sporting festival but also one of the most important charity events in the UK. On the day of the marathon amateur runners raise millions of pounds to give to charities in the UK.

The Boat Race
Another very popular British sporting event is the Boat Race, between students at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the oldest universities in the UK. The first race was in 1829 and it is now a national institution. More than 250,000 people watch the race from the banks of the river in London, and millions more watch on TV.
The race, between two teams in rowing boats, takes place along nearly 7 kilometres of the River Thames in March or April, but the students start training in September. They train for hours every day, in all types of weather. It is very difficult to get into the team, there are only 9 places so only the best rowers can represent their university.
It's a challenging race and it's very tiring for the rowers but it's very entertaining for the spectators. There's a tradition that the winners throw one of their team into the water after the race. And what do they win, apart from a swim in a very cold river for one team member? Well, there's a trophy, but there aren't any big prizes.
This race is all about sporting glory and the winning university's honour.

Totally Thames
Totally Thames is London's largest free open-air arts festival. For the entire month of September, the Thames and its banks are home to a celebration of London's famous river.
Londoners and visitors can see performers from all over the world, listen to live music, sail and swim in the river, and even go behind the scenes at a floating lifeboat station, all for free.
The main theme of the festival is water and its importance in our lives. There are lots of talks and interactive events, and volunteers collect money for people in countries where there isn't enough water.
The festival ends with fantastic fireworks beside the river, so there's even an event for those who aren't interested in water!

Christmas Pudding Race
Christmas pudding is a very traditional British Christmas dessert. It is similar to a fruit cake, and in the past most mums made one at home from a family recipe, but now most families buy one from the supermarket. It is served with cream or brandy butter and there is a small coin inside it. People believe this brings luck to those who find it.
Every December there is a Great Christmas Pudding Race in Covent Garden, in London.
Runners in fancy dress run round an obstacle course with a Christmas pudding on a tray to raise money for charity. It's a crazy British Christmas tradition, and some people say eating a very heavy pudding after a big Christmas dinner is another one!