Life in the UK: Marathon Test

#1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

The UK is a multicultural country.

The UK is a parliamentary democracy.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy.

All of the above

#2. The longest distance on the mainland is from John O’Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land’s End in the south-west corner of England. ? The distance is about 870 miles (approximately 1,400 kilometres).

True

False

#3. What did the Declaration of Rights confirm at the coronation of William and Mary?

The king would be able to raise taxes or administer justice without agreement from Parliament.

The king would no longer be able to raise taxes or administer justice without agreement from Parliament.

The king had the right to persecute anybody.

None of the above

#4. What does ‘constitutional monarchy’ mean?

The monarch is no longer important.

The monarch can insist on particular policies or actions even if Parliament did not agree.

The monarch is no longer able to insist on particular policies or actions if Parliament did not agree.

None of the above

#5. Before the Reform Act 1832,some constituencies were controlled by single wealthy families called ‘pocket boroughs’ while other constituencies had hardly any voters and were called ‘rotten boroughs’.

True

False

#6. When did the first Jews come to Britain since the Middle Ages settled in London?

1490

1556

1600

1656

#7. William and Mary’s successor, Queen Anne, had no surviving children.

True

False

#8. Why did Parliament choose a German, George I, to be the next king when Queen Anne died?

Because he loved Anne much.

Because he was Anne's closest friend.

Because he was Anne’s nearest Protestant relative.

Because he was Anne's brother.

#9. What were ‘crofts’?

Individual big farms

Individual small farms

Plots of land rented by an individual for growing vegetables or flowers

Stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical feature

#10. What do Adam Smith, David Hume and James Watt have in common?

They all belonged to the Victorian period.

They all are artists.

They all are economists.

They all belonged to the Enlightenment period.

#11. One of the principles of the Enlightenment is everyone should have the right to their own political and religious beliefs and that the state should not try to dictate to them.

True

False

#12. What kind of working conditions were there during the Industrial Revolution?

There were no laws to protect employees, who were often forced to work long hours in dangerous situations.

Children also worked and were treated in the same way as adults.

Sometimes they were treated even more harshly.

All of the above

#13. Which of the following goods did Britain import during its increased colonisation period?

Sugar and tobacco

Textiles

Tea and spices

All of the above

*Sugar and tobacco came from North America and the West Indies; textiles, tea and spices came from India and the area that is today called Indonesia.

#14. Which of the following countries was Britain involved in conflict with while trading and settling overseas in the colonial period?

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

#15. Who introduced ‘shampooing’, the Indian art of head message, to Britain?

Clement Atlee

Richard Arkwright

Sake Dean Mahomet and his wife Jane Daly

Dame Kelly Holmes

#16. Who were abolitionists?

People who supported the abolition of slavery

People who abolished land ownership

People who supported the abolition of work discriminations

All of the above

#17. After the abolition of slavery in 1833, how many Indian and Chinese workers were employed to replace the freed slaves?

1 million

2 million

5 million

10 million

#18. Where did TWO million Indian and Chinese workers work?

On sugar plantations in the Caribbean

In mines in South Africa, on railways in East Africa

In the army in Kenya.

All of the above

#19. When did Britain recognise the American colonies’ independence?

In 1775

In 1783

In 1786

In 1886

#20. Another name of the Union Flag is the Union Jack.

True

False

#21. How many British citizens left the country to settle overseas between 1853 and 1913?

As many as 2 million

As many as 6 million

As many as 8 million

As many as 13 million

#22. When were the Corn Laws repealed?

1840

1846

1850

1860

#23. What happened after the repealing of the Corn Laws?

It prevented the import of cheap grain.

It helped the development of British industry.

Raw materials could be imported more cheaply.

All of the above

#24. In 1847, the number of hours that women and children could work was limited by law to 10 hours per day.

True

False

#25. Who pioneered the railway engine?

James Watt

Nigel Gresley

Richard Trevithick

George and Robert Stephenson

#26. The Great Western Railway, which was the first major railway built in Britain, runs from Paddington Station in London to the south west of England, the West Midlands and Wales.

True

False

#27. British industry led the world_________.

In the 17th century

In the 18th century

In the 19th century

In the 20th century

#28. The UK produced_______of the world’s iron, coal and cotton cloth.

One-third

More than half

Half

Two-thirds

#29. Who introduced the Victoria Cross medal during the Crimean War?

Queen Victoria

Queen Elizabeth I

Roger Fenton

Fitzroy

#30. The Victoria Cross medal honours acts of valour by any person.

True

False

*False. The Victoria Cross medal honours acts of valour by soldiers.

#31. In which of the following countries was Florence Nightingale born?

German

Scotland

England

Italy

#32. In which period had the Irish Nationalist movement grown?

Throughout the 17th century

Throughout the 18th century

Throughout the 19th century

Throughout the 20th century

#33. During the Irish Nationalist movement, Charles Stuart Parnell, advocated ‘Home Rule’, meaning Ireland would remain in the UK but have its own parliament.

True

False

#34. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria led to_____.

The Crimean War

The First World War

The Second World War

The Second Boer War

#35. In 1916 there was an uprising called______against the British in Dublin.

The English Riot

The Rebellion

The Mass Upsurge

The Easter Rising

#36. How many counties remained part of the UK under the name Northern Ireland?

4

5

6

8

#37. The conflict between those wishing for full Irish independence and those wishing to remain loyal to the British government is often referred to as ‘the riots’.

True

False

*False. The conflict between those wishing for full Irish independence and those wishing to remain loyal to the British government is often referred to as ‘the Troubles’.

#38. What was/were the effect(s) of ‘Great Depression’ in the UK?

Mass unemployment

Heavy industries such as shipbuilding were badly affected.

New industries—including the automobile and aviation industries—developed.

All of the above

#39. When did the BBC start radio broadcasts?

1932

1936

1940

1942

#40. Which of the following countries were there in the Axis powers during the Second World War?

Canada, Italy and Poland

France, Japan and New Zealand

The UK, France and Poland

Germany, Italy and Japan

#41. The UK, France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Union of South Africa were on the Allied side during the Second World War.

True

False

#42. Which of the following phrases is still used to describe Britons pulling together in the face of adversity?

The Dunkirk spirit

The Brotherhood spirit

The Blitz spirit

The English spirit

#43. The United States entered the Second World War when the Japanese bombed its naval base at _________in December 1941.

Auschwitz

Pearl Harbour

Warsaw

Amsterdam

#44. To how many countries did Britain grant independence in 1947?

Five

Six

Eight

Nine

#45. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an alliance of nations was set up to resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies.

True

False

#46. Which of the following Prime Ministers was famous for his ‘wind of change’ speech about decolonisation and independence for the countries of the Empire?

Clement Attlee

Harold Macmillan

Winston Churchill

John Major

#47. The Beveridge Report (1942) recommended the government should find ways of fighting the ‘Seven Sins’: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth,..

True

False

*False. The Beveridge Report (1942) recommended the government should find ways of fighting the five ‘Giant Evils’ of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.

#48. Who was made a Dame of the British Empire in 2000?

Dame Kelly Holmes

Sir Ian Botham

Mary Peters

Jessica Ennis

#49. The UK is a full member of the European Union and uses the Euro currency.

True

False

*False. The UK is a full member of the European Union but does not use the Euro currency.

#50. Which of the following is FALSE about Margaret Thatcher?

She was the longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century.

She trained as a chemist and lawyer.

She was one of the first Western leaders to recognise and welcome the changes in the leadership of the Soviet Union.

She became the Prime Minister in 1975.

#51. The UK now operates in Afghanistan as part of the United Nations (UN) mandated 50-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition and at the invitation of the Afghan government.

True

False

#52. Which of the following cities is NOT in the UK?

Liverpool

Norwich

Vancouver

Sheffield

Cities of the UK

ENGLAND

London
Birmingham
Liverpool
Leeds
Sheffield
Bristol
Manchester
Bradford
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Plymouth
Southampton
Norwich

WALES

Cardiff
Swansea
Newport

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh
Glasgow
Dundee
Aberdeen

NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast

#53. What is the coin with the lowest value in the UK?

1p

2p

5p

10p

#54. What is the note with the lowest value in the UK?

£1

£2

£5

£10

#55. The UK is historically a Christian country.

True

False

#56. In the 2009 Citizenship Survey, 70% of people identified themselves as Christian. Much smaller proportions identified themselves as Muslim (4%), Hindu (2%), Sikh (1%), Jewish or Buddhist (both less than 0.5%), and 2% of people followed another religion.

True

False

#57. What is the religious building for Muslims called?

Temple

Mosque

Synagogue

Gurdwaras

#58. What is the religious building for Hindus and Buddhists called?

Temple

Mosque

Synagogue

Gurdwaras

#59. What is the religious building for Jews called?

Mosque

Temple

Synagogue

Gurdwaras

#60. What is the religious building for Sikhs called?

Mosque

Temple

Synagogue

Gurdwaras

#61. In the 2009 Citizenship Survey, what percentage of people said they had no religion?

5%

10%

21%

25%

#62. In England, there is a constitutional link between Church and state.

True

False

#63. The official Church of the state, the Church of England is a Catholic Church.

True

False

False. The official Church of the state, the Church of England is a Protestant Church.

#64. The Church of England has existed since the Reformation_______.

In the 1520s

In the 1530s

In the 1540s

In the 1550s

#65. The national Church of Scotland is _______.

The Church of England

The Roman Catholic Church

The Methodist Church

The Church of Scotland

#66. The Church of Scotland is a __________.

Protestant Church

Roman Catholic Church

Presbyterian Church

Methodist Church

#67. There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.

True

False

#68. When is St Andrew’s Day?

1 March

17 March

23 April

30 November

#69. The patron saints’ days are public holidays in England and Wales.

True

False

*False: The patron saints’ days are no longer public holidays in England and Wales.

#70. Both Good Friday and the following Monday, called Easter Monday, are public holidays.

True

False

#71. The day before Lent starts is called Shrove Tuesday, or______.

Ash Wednesday

Halloween

Pancake Day

Boxing Day

#72. Pancakes are traditionally made to use up foods such as________.

Cinnamon, coriander and cloves

Yogurt, sugar and fat

Eggs, fat and milk

Flour, eggs and cheese

#73. What is marked on the foreheads of Christians as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin?

A simple cross

An ash cross

A round red mark

A swastika cross

#74. ‘Easter eggs’ are chocolate eggs often given as presents at Easter as a symbol of new life.

True

False

#75. The founding of the Sikh community is known as the Khalsa.

True

False

#76. When is Father’s Day?

The first Sunday in June

The second Sunday in June

The third Sunday in June

The third Sunday in July

#77. What type of character was Charlie Chaplin famous for?

The foil character

The tramp character

The round character

The confidante character

#78. Which of the following is a British comedy?

Passport to Pimlico

The Ladykillers

Carry On

All of the above

#79. In the 19th century, the most famous satirical magazine was______.

Monthly Panorama

Youth's Magazine

Punch

Private Eye

#80. Which of the following genres often look at family and relationships in the workplace?

Parodies

Sitcoms

Satires

Fairy stories

#81. What is stand-up comedy?

Which often look at family life and relationships in the workplace

Where a solo comedian talks to a live audience

Where jokes are told and made fun of people

None of the above

#82. All television (TV) channels require a paid subscription in the UK.

True

False

*False. Many different television (TV) channels are available in the UK. Some are free to watch and others require a paid subscription.

#83. A set of principles by which a country is governed is known as_____.

The system

The code of conduct

The laws and convention

The constitution

#84. Which of the following statements about ‘constitutional monarchy’ is FALSE?

The monarch can insist on particular policies or actions even if Parliament did not agree.

The king or queen does not rule the country but appoints the government, which the people have chosen in a democratic election.

The monarch invites the leader of the party with the largest number of MPs, or the leader of a coalition between more than one party, to become the Prime Minister.

The monarch has regular meetings with the Prime Minister and can advise, warn and encourage, but the decisions on government policies are made by the Prime Minister and cabinet.

#85. Who represents the UK to the rest of the world?

The Prime Minister

The Speaker

The Queen

The Secretary of State

#86. Why is the House of Commons regarded as the more important of the two chambers in Parliament?

Because its members are influential

Because its members are democratically elected

Because it has the richest members

Because it has more members than the House of Lords

#87. Which of the following is the MP responsible for?

Represent everyone in their constituency

Help to create new laws and debate important national issues

Scrutinise and comment on what the government is doing

All of the above

#88. The Speaker represents Parliament on ceremonial occasions.

True

False

#89. If an MP dies or resigns, there will be a fresh election, called a________, in his or her constituency.

General Election

Byelection

Plebiscite

Referendum

#90. Major political parties of the UK are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats.

True

False

#91. All MPs in the UK represent any of the main political parties.

True

False

False. There are a few MPs who do not represent any of the main political parties. They are called ‘independents’ and usually represent an issue important to their constituency.

#92. What is the function of pressure and lobby groups?

To influence government policy

To convince the government

To pressurise the government

All of the above

#93. What does the CBI stand for?

Centre of British Industry

Confederation of British Industry

Criminal Bureau of Investigation

Corporation of British Industry

#94. Which of the following topics does Greenpeace campaign on?

Human rights

International peace

Environment

Women's rights

#95. Which of the following topics does Liberty campaign on?

Environment

International peace

Women's rights

Human rights

#96. The core values of civil service are integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality (including being politically neutral).

True

False

#97. How many member states does the Commonwealth have?

50

54

60

64

*54 Commonwealth members

Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei Darussalam
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
Fiji (currently suspended)
The Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
UK
Vanuatu
Zambia

#98. How many member states does the European Union (EU) have?

25

27

31

35

*27 EU member states

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
UK

#99. European laws are called directives, regulations or framework decisions.

True

False

#100. What Palace was a cast-iron and plate-glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851?

Dream Palace

Gold Palace

Crystal Palace

The Great Palace

Click Life in the UK: Marathon Test below and start practising!

Results

#1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

#2. The longest distance on the mainland is from John O’Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land’s End in the south-west corner of England. ? The distance is about 870 miles (approximately 1,400 kilometres).

#3. What did the Declaration of Rights confirm at the coronation of William and Mary?

#4. What does ‘constitutional monarchy’ mean?

#5. Before the Reform Act 1832,some constituencies were controlled by single wealthy families called ‘pocket boroughs’ while other constituencies had hardly any voters and were called ‘rotten boroughs’.

#6. When did the first Jews come to Britain since the Middle Ages settled in London?

#7. William and Mary’s successor, Queen Anne, had no surviving children.

#8. Why did Parliament choose a German, George I, to be the next king when Queen Anne died?

#9. What were ‘crofts’?

#10. What do Adam Smith, David Hume and James Watt have in common?

#11. One of the principles of the Enlightenment is everyone should have the right to their own political and religious beliefs and that the state should not try to dictate to them.

#12. What kind of working conditions were there during the Industrial Revolution?

#13. Which of the following goods did Britain import during its increased colonisation period?

#14. Which of the following countries was Britain involved in conflict with while trading and settling overseas in the colonial period?

#15. Who introduced ‘shampooing’, the Indian art of head message, to Britain?

#16. Who were abolitionists?

#17. After the abolition of slavery in 1833, how many Indian and Chinese workers were employed to replace the freed slaves?

#18. Where did TWO million Indian and Chinese workers work?

#19. When did Britain recognise the American colonies’ independence?

#20. Another name of the Union Flag is the Union Jack.

#21. How many British citizens left the country to settle overseas between 1853 and 1913?

#22. When were the Corn Laws repealed?

#23. What happened after the repealing of the Corn Laws?

#24. In 1847, the number of hours that women and children could work was limited by law to 10 hours per day.

#25. Who pioneered the railway engine?

#26. The Great Western Railway, which was the first major railway built in Britain, runs from Paddington Station in London to the south west of England, the West Midlands and Wales.

#27. British industry led the world_________.

#28. The UK produced_______of the world’s iron, coal and cotton cloth.

#29. Who introduced the Victoria Cross medal during the Crimean War?

#30. The Victoria Cross medal honours acts of valour by any person.

#31. In which of the following countries was Florence Nightingale born?

#32. In which period had the Irish Nationalist movement grown?

#33. During the Irish Nationalist movement, Charles Stuart Parnell, advocated ‘Home Rule’, meaning Ireland would remain in the UK but have its own parliament.

#34. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria led to_____.

#35. In 1916 there was an uprising called______against the British in Dublin.

#36. How many counties remained part of the UK under the name Northern Ireland?

#37. The conflict between those wishing for full Irish independence and those wishing to remain loyal to the British government is often referred to as ‘the riots’.

#38. What was/were the effect(s) of ‘Great Depression’ in the UK?

#39. When did the BBC start radio broadcasts?

#40. Which of the following countries were there in the Axis powers during the Second World War?

#41. The UK, France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Union of South Africa were on the Allied side during the Second World War.

#42. Which of the following phrases is still used to describe Britons pulling together in the face of adversity?

#43. The United States entered the Second World War when the Japanese bombed its naval base at _________in December 1941.

#44. To how many countries did Britain grant independence in 1947?

#45. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an alliance of nations was set up to resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies.

#46. Which of the following Prime Ministers was famous for his ‘wind of change’ speech about decolonisation and independence for the countries of the Empire?

#47. The Beveridge Report (1942) recommended the government should find ways of fighting the ‘Seven Sins’: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth,..

#48. Who was made a Dame of the British Empire in 2000?

#49. The UK is a full member of the European Union and uses the Euro currency.

#50. Which of the following is FALSE about Margaret Thatcher?

#51. The UK now operates in Afghanistan as part of the United Nations (UN) mandated 50-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition and at the invitation of the Afghan government.

#52. Which of the following cities is NOT in the UK?

Cities of the UK

#53. What is the coin with the lowest value in the UK?

#54. What is the note with the lowest value in the UK?

#55. The UK is historically a Christian country.

#56. In the 2009 Citizenship Survey, 70% of people identified themselves as Christian. Much smaller proportions identified themselves as Muslim (4%), Hindu (2%), Sikh (1%), Jewish or Buddhist (both less than 0.5%), and 2% of people followed another religion.

#57. What is the religious building for Muslims called?

#58. What is the religious building for Hindus and Buddhists called?

#59. What is the religious building for Jews called?

#60. What is the religious building for Sikhs called?

#61. In the 2009 Citizenship Survey, what percentage of people said they had no religion?

#62. In England, there is a constitutional link between Church and state.

#63. The official Church of the state, the Church of England is a Catholic Church.

#64. The Church of England has existed since the Reformation_______.

#65. The national Church of Scotland is _______.

#66. The Church of Scotland is a __________.

#67. There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.

#68. When is St Andrew’s Day?

#69. The patron saints’ days are public holidays in England and Wales.

#70. Both Good Friday and the following Monday, called Easter Monday, are public holidays.

#71. The day before Lent starts is called Shrove Tuesday, or______.

#72. Pancakes are traditionally made to use up foods such as________.

#73. What is marked on the foreheads of Christians as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin?

#74. ‘Easter eggs’ are chocolate eggs often given as presents at Easter as a symbol of new life.

#75. The founding of the Sikh community is known as the Khalsa.

#76. When is Father’s Day?

#77. What type of character was Charlie Chaplin famous for?