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Life in the UK Test

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Life in the UK Test questions and answers

Every question in the bank, with the answer and an explanation. Written from Life in the UK: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition). Browsing is free and needs no account. But you will learn far more by taking a timed test than by reading answers.

  1. 101.Under feudalism, what did the king give land to his lords in return for?

    • ALoyalty to the Church
    • BPayment of taxes
    • CService at court
    • DHelp in war

    Land came to lords from the king under feudalism, the return being help in war. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  2. 102.What were most peasants under feudalism?

    • AGentry
    • BLandowners
    • CSerfs
    • DFreemen

    Most peasants were serfs, who had a small area of their lord's land and had to work for their lord and could not move away. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  3. 103.Who owned the land in the north of Scotland and in Ireland?

    • AMembers of the clans
    • BThe gentry
    • CThe king directly
    • DThe Church

    In the north of Scotland and in Ireland land was owned by members of the clans, which were prominent families. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  4. 104.In which year did the Black Death come to Britain?

    • A1066
    • B1284
    • C1348
    • D1485

    In 1348 a disease, probably a form of plague, came to Britain and was known as the Black Death. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  5. 105.What proportion of England’s population died in the Black Death?

    • AOne third
    • BTwo thirds
    • COne tenth
    • DOne half

    One third of the population of England died in the Black Death, and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  6. 106.What did peasants begin to demand after the Black Death?

    • ATheir own coats of arms
    • BHigher wages
    • CThe right to vote
    • DFreedom of religion

    After the Black Death there were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  7. 107.Which new social class of large landowners appeared after the Black Death?

    • AThe nobility
    • BThe gentry
    • CThe clans
    • DThe serfs

    New social classes appeared after the Black Death, including owners of large areas of land later called the gentry. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  8. 108.What developed in the towns as their wealth grew?

    • AA new nobility
    • BThe clan system
    • CThe feudal system
    • DA strong middle class

    Growing wealth in the towns led to the development of a strong middle class. (Feudalism and the Black Death)

  9. 109.In which year was Magna Carta agreed?

    • A1215
    • B1284
    • C1689
    • D1066

    Magna Carta was agreed in 1215. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  10. 110.Which king was forced to agree to Magna Carta?

    • AKing John
    • BKing Henry V
    • CKing Edward I
    • DKing Richard III

    King John was forced by his noblemen to agree to Magna Carta. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  11. 111.What does Magna Carta mean?

    • AThe Great Council
    • BThe Common Law
    • CThe Charter of Freedoms
    • DThe Great Charter

    Magna Carta means the Great Charter. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  12. 112.What idea did Magna Carta establish?

    • AThat all men could vote
    • BThat even the king was subject to the law
    • CThat Parliament could remove the king
    • DThat the Church was above the law

    Even the king answered to law: that was Magna Carta's idea. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  13. 113.Which of these did Magna Carta restrict?

    • AThe rights of the nobility
    • BThe independence of judges
    • CThe king’s power to collect taxes
    • DThe power of the House of Commons

    Magna Carta guarded the nobility's rights and curbed the king's power over taxes and over making or changing law. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  14. 114.Who sat in the House of Lords in the Middle Ages?

    • AThe nobility, great landowners and bishops
    • BElected representatives of the counties
    • CJudges and lawyers
    • DKnights and wealthy townspeople

    The nobility, great landowners and bishops sat in the House of Lords. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  15. 115.Who was elected to the House of Commons in the Middle Ages?

    • AAll adult men living in the towns and cities
    • BThe nobility, great landowners and bishops
    • CThe clergy, sitting as a separate estate
    • DKnights and wealthy people from towns and cities

    Election to the Commons went to knights and to wealthy townspeople. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  16. 116.How many Houses, called Estates, did the Scottish Parliament have?

    • ATwo
    • BThree
    • CFour
    • DOne

    The Scottish Parliament had three Houses called Estates: the lords, the commons and the clergy. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  17. 117.Which THREE Estates made up the Scottish Parliament?

    • AThe king, the lords and the commons
    • BThe lords, the commons and the clergy
    • CThe lords, the knights and the burghers
    • DThe nobility, the gentry and the serfs

    The Scottish Parliament had three Houses called Estates: the lords, the commons and the clergy. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  18. 118.How did English judges develop common law?

    • ABy precedence and tradition
    • BBy act of Parliament
    • CBy royal decree
    • DBy codifying it in writing

    In England judges developed common law by a process of precedence and tradition. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  19. 119.What happened to laws in Scotland?

    • AThey were set by the clans
    • BThey were imposed by England
    • CThey were codified, that is, written down
    • DThey were developed by precedence

    In Scotland the laws were codified, that is, written down. (Magna Carta and the rise of Parliament)

  20. 120.Who wrote The Canterbury Tales?

    • AGeoffrey Chaucer
    • BWilliam Caxton
    • CJohn Barbour
    • DWilliam Shakespeare

    Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of poems about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  21. 121.What is The Canterbury Tales about?

    • AThe life and reign of William the Conqueror
    • BA group of people telling stories on a pilgrimage to Canterbury
    • CThe Wars of the Roses between York and Lancaster
    • DThe Battle of Bannockburn and Robert the Bruce

    Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of poems about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  22. 122.Who was the first person in England to print books using a printing press?

    • ASir Christopher Wren
    • BGeoffrey Chaucer
    • CWilliam Caxton
    • DJohn Barbour

    William Caxton was the first person in England to print books using a printing press. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  23. 123.Who wrote The Bruce, about the Battle of Bannockburn?

    • AJohn Barbour
    • BRobert Burns
    • CGeoffrey Chaucer
    • DSir Walter Scott

    John Barbour wrote The Bruce about the Battle of Bannockburn in the Scots language. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  24. 124.Which cathedral is famous for its stained glass?

    • ACanterbury Cathedral
    • BSalisbury Cathedral
    • CYork Minster
    • DLincoln Cathedral

    The stained glass in York Minster is a famous example. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  25. 125.Which was a very important English export in the Middle Ages?

    • ACotton cloth
    • BCoal
    • CSteel
    • DWool

    English wool became a very important export in the Middle Ages. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  26. 126.In which year did the Wars of the Roses begin?

    • A1415
    • B1485
    • C1348
    • D1455

    The Wars of the Roses began in 1455 as a civil war to decide who should be king of England. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  27. 127.Which two houses fought the Wars of the Roses?

    • AThe House of Normandy and the House of Plantagenet
    • BThe House of Lancaster and the House of York
    • CThe House of York and the House of Windsor
    • DThe House of Tudor and the House of Stuart

    The Wars of the Roses was fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  28. 128.What was the symbol of the House of Lancaster?

    • AA white hart
    • BA red dragon
    • CA white rose
    • DA red rose

    A red rose stood for Lancaster, a white rose for York. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  29. 129.What was the symbol of the House of York?

    • AA white rose
    • BA red dragon
    • CA thistle
    • DA red rose

    A red rose stood for Lancaster, a white rose for York. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  30. 130.Which battle ended the Wars of the Roses?

    • AThe Battle of Naseby
    • BThe Battle of Agincourt
    • CThe Battle of Bannockburn
    • DThe Battle of Bosworth Field

    The Wars of the Roses ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  31. 131.In which year was the Battle of Bosworth Field?

    • A1066
    • B1415
    • C1485
    • D1455

    The Wars of the Roses ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  32. 132.Which king was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field?

    • AEdward I
    • BHenry V
    • CHenry VII
    • DRichard III

    King Richard III of the House of York was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  33. 133.Who became king after the Battle of Bosworth Field?

    • ARichard III
    • BHenry VIII
    • CEdward VI
    • DHenry VII

    Henry Tudor, leader of the House of Lancaster, became King Henry VII. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  34. 134.Whom did Henry VII marry to unite the two families?

    • AMary Stuart
    • BCatherine of Aragon
    • CAnne Boleyn
    • DElizabeth of York

    Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, uniting the two families. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  35. 135.What was the symbol of the House of Tudor?

    • AA white rose alone, taken from York
    • BA red rose with a white rose inside it
    • CA white rose with a red rose inside it
    • DA red dragon on a green and white ground

    A red rose stood for Lancaster, a white rose for York. (A distinct identity and the Wars of the Roses)

  36. 136.What is Henry VIII most famous for?

    • AUniting England and Scotland into one kingdom
    • BBreaking away from the Church of Rome and marrying six times
    • CDefeating the Spanish Armada sent against England
    • DBeing forced by his noblemen to sign Magna Carta

    Two things made Henry VIII famous: six marriages, and the break with the Church of Rome. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  37. 137.Why did Henry VIII establish the Church of England?

    • ABecause the Pope refused to approve his divorce
    • BTo end the Wars of the Roses
    • CBecause Parliament demanded it
    • DTo raise money for a war with France

    Henry VIII established the Church of England when the Pope refused to approve his divorce. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  38. 138.In the Church of England, who had the power to appoint bishops?

    • AThe king
    • BThe Archbishop of Canterbury alone
    • CThe Pope
    • DParliament

    In the Church of England the king, not the Pope, had the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  39. 139.What was the Reformation?

    • AThe reform of Parliament and the franchise during the 19th century
    • BA movement against the authority of the Pope and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church
    • CThe union of the English and Scottish parliaments under one crown
    • DThe rebuilding of London after the Great Fire destroyed the city

    In the Church of England the king, not the Pope, had the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  40. 140.In which language did Protestants read the Bible?

    • ALatin
    • BGreek
    • CTheir own languages
    • DHebrew

    Protestants read the Bible in their own languages instead of in Latin. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  41. 141.Which TWO were Protestant beliefs?

    Choose two

    • AAccepting the authority of the Pope
    • BThat a person’s own relationship with God mattered most
    • CReading the Bible in their own language
    • DPraying to saints at shrines

    Protestants read the Bible in their own languages instead of in Latin. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  42. 142.How was Wales formally united with England?

    • ABy the Act of Settlement
    • BBy the Treaty of Union
    • CBy the Act for the Government of Wales
    • DBy the Statute of Rhuddlan

    Wales became formally united with England during the reign of Henry VIII by the Act for the Government of Wales. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  43. 143.During whose reign was Wales formally united with England?

    • AEdward I
    • BElizabeth I
    • CHenry VIII
    • DHenry VII

    Two things made Henry VIII famous: six marriages, and the break with the Church of Rome. (Henry VIII and the Reformation)

  44. 144.How many times did Henry VIII marry?

    • AThree
    • BFive
    • CSix
    • DFour

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

  45. 145.Who was Henry VIII’s first wife?

    • AJane Seymour
    • BCatherine of Aragon
    • CAnne Boleyn
    • DCatherine Parr

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

  46. 146.Which of Henry VIII’s wives was the mother of Elizabeth I?

    • AAnne Boleyn
    • BCatherine Howard
    • CCatherine of Aragon
    • DJane Seymour

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

  47. 147.Which of Henry VIII’s wives was the mother of Edward VI?

    • AAnne of Cleves
    • BAnne Boleyn
    • CJane Seymour
    • DCatherine of Aragon

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

  48. 148.Which of Henry VIII’s wives was a Spanish princess?

    • AAnne Boleyn
    • BCatherine of Aragon
    • CAnne of Cleves
    • DCatherine Parr

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

  49. 149.Which of Henry VIII’s wives was a German princess?

    • ACatherine Howard
    • BCatherine of Aragon
    • CAnne of Cleves
    • DJane Seymour

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

  50. 150.Which of Henry VIII’s wives survived him?

    • AAnne Boleyn
    • BCatherine Howard
    • CJane Seymour
    • DCatherine Parr

    The six wives of Henry VIII were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. (The six wives of Henry VIII)

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