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Life in the UK Test

Life in the UK Test practice test 18

24 questions, no clock, with the answer explained as you go. Use the timed exams when you want to know if you are ready.

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All 24 questions and answers

  1. 1.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)

  2. 2.When is Mothering Sunday?

    • AThe first Sunday in the month of May
    • BThe third Sunday in the month of June
    • CThe Sunday three weeks before Easter
    • DThe Sunday immediately following Easter

    Mothering Sunday, or Mother's Day, is the Sunday three weeks before Easter. (Other festivals and bank holidays)

  3. 3.Which UK-designed aircraft can take off vertically?

    • AThe Hurricane
    • BThe Spitfire
    • CThe Harrier jump jet
    • DConcorde

    The Harrier jump jet, an aircraft capable of taking off vertically, was designed and developed in the UK. (British inventions of the 20th century)

  4. 4.Which Act incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law?

    • AThe Habeas Corpus Act 1679
    • BThe Equality Act 2010
    • CThe Bill of Rights 1689
    • DThe Human Rights Act 1998

    UK law absorbed the European Convention on Human Rights through the Human Rights Act 1998. (Fundamental principles and equal opportunities)

  5. 5.What proportion identified as Muslim in the 2011 Census?

    • A1.5%
    • B4.8%
    • C59%
    • D0.8%

    In the 2011 Census 4.8% identified as Muslim, 1.5% as Hindu, 0.8% as Sikh and less than 0.5% as Jewish or Buddhist. (Religion in the UK)

  6. 6.What can the police do in an alcohol-free zone?

    • AClose nearby licensed premises
    • BConfiscate alcohol or move young people on
    • CArrest anyone carrying alcohol
    • DIssue a criminal record

    Selling alcohol to an under-18, or buying it on their behalf, is a criminal offence. (Criminal and civil law)

  7. 7.What did Florence Nightingale establish in 1860?

    • AThe Nightingale Training School for nurses at St Thomas’ Hospital
    • BThe British Red Cross for wartime nursing
    • CThe first military hospital in Turkey at Scutari
    • DThe Royal College of Nursing for trained nurses

    St Thomas' Hospital in London housed the Nightingale Training School for nurses, established in 1860. (Victorian trade, industry and the Crimean War)

  8. 8.In which year was the structure of the DNA molecule discovered?

    • A1953
    • B1928
    • C1996
    • D1969

    DNA's structure came to light in 1953, from work at universities in London and Cambridge. (British inventions of the 20th century)

  9. 9.On what date is Vaisakhi celebrated?

    • A5 November
    • B31 October
    • C14 April
    • D1 March

    Vaisakhi is celebrated on 14 April each year with parades, dancing and singing. (Other religious festivals)

  10. 10.What is Hogmanay?

    • AA Scottish harvest festival
    • BScotland's name for Bonfire Night
    • CScotland's name for 31 December
    • DA Highland dance festival

    Small farms called crofts were destroyed by Scottish landlords in the Highland Clearances, to clear space for large flocks of sheep and cattle. (The rebellion of the clans and the Enlightenment)

  11. 11.What did the Bessemer process allow?

    • AThe generation of electricity
    • BThe spinning of cotton by machine
    • CThe mass production of steel
    • DThe refining of coal gas

    Steel mass-produced by the Bessemer process gave rise to shipbuilding and to the railways. (The Industrial Revolution)

  12. 12.Which city was almost totally destroyed in the Blitz?

    • ACoventry
    • BSheffield
    • CNorwich
    • DPlymouth

    Coventry was almost totally destroyed in the Blitz. (The Second World War)

  13. 13.What does the official Welsh flag show?

    • AA red cross
    • BA daffodil
    • CA Welsh dragon
    • DA white diagonal cross

    There is an official Welsh flag which shows a Welsh dragon. (The Union Flag)

  14. 14.Where does the Great Western Railway run from?

    • APaddington Station in London
    • BBristol Temple Meads
    • CKing’s Cross Station in London
    • DEuston Station in London

    In 1854 Florence Nightingale went to Turkey and worked in military hospitals treating soldiers fighting in the Crimean War. (Victorian trade, industry and the Crimean War)

  15. 15.On which day does Lent begin?

    • AGood Friday
    • BShrove Tuesday
    • CPalm Sunday
    • DAsh Wednesday

    Ash Wednesday opens Lent, Christians receiving an ash cross on the forehead for death and sorrow for sin. (Christian festivals)

  16. 16.Where was Sir Edward Elgar born?

    • AScotland
    • BWorcester
    • CLondon
    • DSuffolk

    Sir Edward Elgar was born in Worcester and is best known for the Pomp and Circumstance Marches. (Arts, culture and leisure)

  17. 17.Which industries did the Bessemer process lead to?

    • ATextiles and lace-making
    • BCoal mining and canal building
    • CBanking and insurance
    • DShipbuilding and the railways

    Steel mass-produced by the Bessemer process gave rise to shipbuilding and to the railways. (The Industrial Revolution)

  18. 18.Which flower is associated with Northern Ireland?

    • AThe shamrock
    • BThe daffodil
    • CThe rose
    • DThe thistle

    The flower associated with Northern Ireland is the shamrock. (Patron saints)

  19. 19.What is the Church of England called in Scotland and the United States?

    • AThe Presbyterian Church
    • BThe Episcopal Church
    • CThe Church of Scotland
    • DThe Anglican Church

    The official Church of the state in England is the Church of England. (Religion in the UK)

  20. 20.For which years was Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister?

    • A1951 to 1964
    • B1997 to 2007
    • C1979 to 1990
    • D1945 to 1951

    Margaret Thatcher was Britain's first woman Prime Minister and led the Conservative government from 1979 to 1990. (The 1970s onwards, Thatcher, Blair and Brexit)

  21. 21.What do pressure and lobby groups do?

    • AStand candidates at General Elections
    • BAppoint life peers
    • CDeliver public services
    • DTry to influence government policy

    Pressure and lobby groups are organisations which try to influence government policy. (Parties, pressure groups, the civil service and local government)

  22. 22.Which party is called the opposition?

    • AThe second-largest party in the House of Commons
    • BThe party with the fewest MPs
    • CThe largest party in the House of Lords
    • DAny party not in government

    The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party in power. (The Prime Minister, the cabinet and the opposition)

  23. 23.Which third verdict is possible in Scotland?

    • ANot proceeded
    • BNo case
    • CUndecided
    • DNot proven

    In Scotland a third verdict of not proven is also possible. (The courts)

  24. 24.Which rights did new laws give women in the 1960s?

    • AThe right to equal pay
    • BThe right to vote at 18
    • CThe right to stand for Parliament
    • DThe right to keep their own property

    Parliament passed new laws giving women the right to equal pay and making it illegal for employers to discriminate against women because of their gender. (Decolonisation, migration and the 1960s)

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