COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

1. What is the common Internet domain address for Britain? uk

2. Which of these is not an acceptable short name for the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland? England
3. Which city is not in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland? Dublin
4. Which is the smallest of the four nations?/ Which of the four nations' flags
is not incorporated in the flag of the UK?/ Of which country is St. David
the patron saint?/ Plaid Cymru is the nationalist party for which part of the
UK Wales
5. Which of the following figures is not associated with Britain? Uncle Sam
6. By what name is the UK flag often known?The Union Jack
7. What proportion of the population of Britain lives in England?/ What
proportion of the population of Britain answered `white British' to the
ethnic group question in the 2001 census? more than 80%
8. . What is the largest minority ethnic grouping in Britain? South Asian
9. A surname beginning with `Mac' or `Mc' is understood to be…Scottish or
Irish.
10.In which of the following does a `Great Britain' team compete? the
Olympics
11.Historically and culturally speaking, which country may be divided into
`Lowland' and `Highland'?/ Which is the least densely populated country in
Britain?/ With which country is haggis especially associated? / With which
country is Owain Glyndwr associated? Scotland
12.a platform used for public speaking and presenting prizes : rostrum
13.the flag of England : St. George's Cross
14.a citizen of the UK : a Briton
15.Britain or England, with the white cliffs of the south coast in mind : Albion
16.the umbrella organization for employees in the UK : TUC (Trades Union
Congress)
17.the organization which controls the supply of money in the UK : Bank of
England
18.the Caribbean, especially the English-speaking parts of it: The West Indies
HISTORY
1. What is Stonehenge? prehistoric monument
2. What was Magna Carta? a historic document
3.Where is Hadrian’s Wall? on the English-Scottish border
4. Who won the Civil War in the 17th century? . the Roundheads
5. In what part of England is Wessex? the south-west
6. Which of these place names is of partly Roman origin? Manchester
7. Which people settled in large numbers on Britain? the Anglo-Saxons
8. In which century was there a single parliament for the whole of Britain and Ireland?
the 19th
9. In which century did England and Scotland first have the same monarch? the 17th
10. In which century did England and Scotland first have the same parliament?/ In which
century was the last battle to be fought on British soil? the 18th
11. Which century saw the greatest extent of the British empire? the 20th
12. In the middle of the 20th century, a joke history book was published. It satirized the
way history was taught in schools at that time, which typically involved the memorizing
of lots of dates. What do you think its title was? 1066 And All That
13. In the 1980s, the BBC compiled a computer video package of very detailed
information about every place in Britain. It timed the publication to fall on a particular
anniversary. In which year was it published? 1986
14. Who is famous for having six wives?/ Who was the first head of the Church of
England?/ Henry VIII
15. Who was executed after a formal trial? Charles I
16. Who is famous for burning some cakes?/ Who is often known as “the Great”? Alfred
17. Who is the longest-reigning monarch in British history so far? Victoria
18. Whose soldier murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury? Henry II
19.Who was forced to sign the Magna Carta? John
20. Who is famous for never having married? Elizabeth I
21. Who is famous because of Camelot and the knights of the round table? Arthur
22. the record of all the people and things in his country compiled by William I (`the
Conqueror') : The Domesday Book
23.the famous stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales
24. leave behind for your successors after you go or die (verb) bequeath
25. when a group of people refuse to work strike
26. a festival of Welsh music and poetry Eisteddfod
27. being able to make or grow everything you need to live yourself self-sufficient
28. the phrase used by the poet Rudyard Kipling to describe the sense of moral obligation
among British empire builders the white man's burden
29. women who campaigned for the right to vote in the early twentieth century the
Suffragettes
30. an area of land which used to be available for use by everybody in a village the
common
31. the set of laws passed in the sixteenth century which took away the power of the
Roman Catholic Church in England: the Reformation

GEOGRAPHY
1. In world terms, Britain has warm summers and cool winters.
2. Which of these does Britain not have? Active volcanoes
3. If you read in a scene from a novel set in Britain that the temperature was “in the
mid-eighties”, what is the weather like? Hot
4. London is larger than any other city in Britain. About how much larger? 6 times
larger
5. Where in England is Birmingham? the midlands
6. Where in England is Manchester? The north
7. What is the largest city in Scotland? Glasgow
8. What proportion of the population of London was born outside Britain? more than
30%
9. Which of the following cities is not in England? Cardiff
10. Generally speaking, which part of Britain gets the most rain in a year? the west
11. Which form of alternative energy is most used in Britain? wind power
12. In world terms, how much rain does London get in a year? a moderate amount
13. Which of these is nearest to London? The Downs
14. the area into which modern London is expanding : The Thames Estuary
15. the financial centre of London: The City
16. the structure used to protect London from flooding: The Thames Barrier
17. the south-east of England: The Home Counties
18. the main area for entertainment and shopping: The West End
19. the area where the Houses of Parliament are located: Westminster
20. a popular London tourist attraction : The Tower of London
21. the traditional home of Cockneys: The East End
22. he edges of hills facing out to sea on the south coast of England cliffs
23. areas of land where there are no towns or cities (the opposite of ‘urban’) rural
24. a combination of smoke and fog smog
25. the fact that temperatures around the world are rising global waming
26. the flat, watery area in East Anglia The Fens
27. an area of Glasgow famous in the past for its terrible housing conditions The
Gorbals
28. It is part of English folklore that the north and south of the country are irredeemably
different from each other. The north is full of poor but honest workers; the south is
full of rich softies who live off the sweat of the northerners. In the south of England
all the men wear bowler hats and suits and carry briefcases on the train to work in the
city every day. In the north, they all wear workman’s overalls and cycle to work in
the local factory carrying sandwiches. In the south, they are polite, but a bit soft and
hypocritical. In the north they are plain speaking and hard, suspicious of strangers but
actually very friendly.
These two stereotypes are well-known in England. But they cannot be completely
true. After all, most of the heavy industry in the north has closed down. In any case,
people in Britain move around a lot in their lifetimes, so that lots of the people in the
south of England must be northerners and vice-versa. Nevertheless, it is true that
houses cost much more in the south than they do in the north. But even here the
picture is complicated. Ten of the poorest areas in the country are actually in …
London.

POLITICAL LIFE
29. How do most people in Britain feel about politicians? Cynical
30. In which respect is Britain most unusual among the 21st century states? It does not
have a written constitution.
31. What is the main purpose of the annual conference held by each bid party? to boost
morale
32. What is the name of the arrangement whereby two MPs from opposing parties each
agree not to participate in a parliamentary vote? the pairing system
33. What is the name of the British secret service? MI6
34. What is the name of the government department which is responsible for Britain’s
dealings with the rest of the world? the Foreign Office
35. Where does the British parliament meet? . Palace of Westminster
36. Which of these does not apply to the British political system? presidential
democracy
37. Which of these names is not used to refer to the position of Prime Minister? Downing
House
38. Which of these political parties is sometimes known as “the Tories”? Conservative
39. Which of these political parties is traditionally draws its support from the working
class? Labour
40. Which of these political parties is usually represented in parliament? Plaid Cymru
Which of these political party has not been in government in the last 50 years?
Liberal Democrat
41. Traditionally, politics in Britain values liberty and privacy more highly than
participatory democracy. The traditional expectation is that the government and the
people will leave each other alone as much as possible. What they tell each other to do
and not do, and also what they know about each other, is kept to a minimum . But this
traditional balance has recently been upset. On the one hand, the authorities can now
learn a lot more about individual people than they used to (for example, through
CCTV and the DNA databases) while, despite the Freedom of Information Act, people still
find it difficult to learn much about the activities of the authorities . In addition, while
restrictions on what people are allowed to do have increased, for example with regard
to protest and publicly expressed opinions , restrictions on what the authorities are
allowed to do, such as how long they can hold a suspect and when they can search a
person's house , have decreased.
42. free benefits which you get as part of your job (e.g. car, accommodation) perks
43. a person who manages to get food, drink, and other things without having to pay for
them freeloader
44. a vote by all the people to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a certain proposition referendum
45. shouting in order to try to interrupt someone giving a speech heckling
46. saying or writing things which are insulting to God blasphemy
47. a dark secret from your past which you try to keep hidden skeleton in the cupboard
48. a person who is a close adviser to a politician or political parry and whose job is to
make them look good in the media spin doctor
49. the attitude which takes extreme care not to say anything which might offend a
minority group political correctness(PC)

EDUCATION
50. At which of these places could you not study for A-levels? grade school
51. Compared to the European average, how long is the school year in Britain? Long
52. How long do most university students in England take to graduate? 3 years
53. What are the hours of the typical school day in Britain? 9a.m. to 4p.m
54. Most British children between the ages of
- 5 - 11 : primary school
- 11-16: compehensive school
55. What is the typical number of subjects studied at school by students in their second
year of A-levels? 3
56. What is the word used to describe the act of submitting written work as your own
when in reality it was written by someone else? Plagiarism
57. What kind of qualification does a student who completes a course of undergraduate
university study in Physics normally get ? BSc
58. What percentage of children in Britain go to independent schools?/ What percentage
of children in Britain go to public schools?/ What proportion of 17-year-olds in
England study a foreign language? Less than 10%
59. What proportion of 20-year-olds in Britain study at university? About 35%
60. Which of these schools is the odd one out (different from the others)? Summerhill
61. Naturally, parents want their children to go to a good school so that they get a good
start in life. If they are rich enough, they can send them to an independent school,
with fewer students per class and excellent exam results, so that they have [the best
possible chance] of getting into a good university. However, if you were a rich
parent in Britain today, this might be a mistake. Instead, you should send your child
to a state school in a poor area with poor exam results. Meanwhile, use your money
to hire private tutors. Why is this?
In Britain, it is agreed that the opportunity of a university education should be equally
[accessible to all]. But there are also enough university places for [a minority] of
school leavers. And most of these go to kids from middle-class backgrounds, many
from independent schools. For some time, universities have been encouraging
[applications] from disadvantaged sections of society. But now they have an extra
reason for doing this. If they accept enough students from state schools in poor areas,
the government gives them [more money]. So now many universities accept these
applicants even when their exam results are [not as good as] other applicants they
reject.
To some extent, this positive discrimination is logical. It is reasonable to use not only
achievement but also [potential] as a criterion for selection. On the other hand, if
 social background becomes more important than [academic performance], it makes
a mockery of academic standards. In addition, the effect on [rejected] applicants
should be considered. It is more psychologically damaging to be told “[you do not
have enough potential]” than to be told “you did not perform well in that exam”.
Moreover, the [absurd parental strategy] outlined above might become widespread.
This would give an even greater advantage to rich kids whose parents can afford
[private tuition].
62. The 3 basic skills which should be caught in primary school : the three Rs Reading.
Writing, arithmetic
63. the meeting of everybody in a school at the start of the day assembly
64. a place where very young children go (like kindergarten or a crèche) nursery
school,
65. the practice of grouping students of the same ability together streaming
66. subjects which sudents have to study compulsory subjects
67. a school whose students live there boarding school,
68. money given to poorer university students to help them with living expenses a grant

69. a badly-behaved child who has not learn any discipline or cooperation a spoilt brat
70. a period of the school year (there are usually three of them) a term
71. the exams which older teenagers take when they are trying to go to university A-
levels
72. universities, typically in cities, which started in the nineteenth century redbricks
73. the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge Oxbridge

IDENTITY
74. Linguistically, what is Scots most closely related to?English
75. Linguistically, what is Welsh most closely related to?Cornish
76. Which of these is used most often in public life?Welsh
77. What is the British national anthem?God Save the Queen
78. Which group of post World War Two immigrants to Britain is sometimes known as
“the Windrush” generation? Caribbean
79. From which immigrant community to Britain has bhangra emerged? Asian
80. In which part of the UK is religion and identity most often linked? Northern Ireland
81. What are surnames with two parts generally called? double-barrelled
82. What proportion of children are born outside marriage in modern Britain? about 40%
83. How do some people in Britain refer to their long-established sexual partners? my
partner
84. With which part of Britain is the English accent with the highest status associated?
England generally
85. Among British people, which of these personal qualities is generally valued the most?
Homour
86. Research on living arrangements in twenty-first century Britain reveals a striking
trend. For the first time in more than a century, the majority of men aged 20-24 now
live at home with their parents. Even on their thirtieth birthday, almost one in five
continues to do so. The figures for young women are lower, but are also rising. These
figures may not in themselves seem extraordinary. But it is the fact that they
represent a 50% increase since 1990 which is raising eyebrows.It seems strange
that in this age of supposedly weak family ties, more twenty-somethings are
choosing not to fly the family nest
The answer to this Puzzel is partly economic. More young adults are in full-time
education. They have to pay fees, can’t earn a regular wage, and so can’t afford to set
up their own home. But some observers argue that the increase is too sharp to be
explained by economics alone. They believe it results from paranoid parenting. The
popular wisdom is that Britain is more dangerous than it used to be. The same people
who, when they were young, went out and found their own friends, decided for
themselves where to study, accepted little help from their parents and even hitched
across Europe are now micro-managing their adolescent children’s lives. They don’t
believe their kids could possibly cope in the big wide world by themselves. University
Open Days are an example. In the 1980s, almost no prospective students were
accompanied by their parents. These days, almost all are.

ATTITUDES

87.In passing casual conversation, British people talk about the weather because
they don’t like silences
88.If you hear or read a woman who is “six-and-a-half-foot”, how tall is she?
Very tall
89.If you hear or read a woman who is “twelve stones”, how heavy is she? about
average weight
90.If a place is “about half a mile away”, how long would it take you to walk there?
about 10 minutes
91.Why do the British normally form queues when they are waiting for something?
they want things to be fair
92.In what month does the financial month begin in Britain? April
93.by what name are measurements in kilos, litres and metres known in Britain?
The metric system
94..Which “traditional” sport in Britain was made illegal in 2004? Foxhunting
95.If two British strangers get into conversation (for example on a train), which
of these pieces of personal information are they most likely to exchange?
Their jobs
96..In Britain, which two people are the least likely to kiss when meeting each
other? 2 men
97.What is a bird table? A raised platform on which birds can feed
98.What proportion of British households keep an animal as a pet? About 50%
99.If money and access to friends and family were not a problem, where would
most British people prefer to live?in a village
100. Which of the following descriptions is not negative? . s/he’s got common
sense

THE ECONOMY AND EVERYDAY LIFE

101. Who or what is the old lady of Threadneedle Street : The Bank of England
102. If you buy 12oz of cheese, about how much do you have? a. much less
than a kilo
103. By what name is the area in town where most of the shops are concentrated
known? the high street
104. When people talk about “the City”, what aspect of London are they
referring to? banking and finance
105. . Which of the following is not a well-known high street bank in Britain?
Boots
106. What is the biggest supermarket chain in Britain? Tesco
107. Visitors to Britain are often shocked by the prices. Of course, exactly how
expensive it seems to any one visitor depends on the [exchange rate] at the
 time. But even when the pound is relatively [weak], Britain does not emerge
as a cheap country. It generally has higher prices than other countries whose
living standards and type of economy are about the same. What visitors to
Britain notice is that it costs a lot to buy fresh vegetables, rent an apartment,
get a cup of coffee, a cocktail, a beer, a meal, or stay in a hotel. But a whole
range of consumer [durables] and services such as home electronic products
and designer clothes are also more expensive than in other large European
countries. The most spectacular British “mark-ups” are in the area of transport,
where [fares] are generally double what they are on the [continent]. Only a
few items, among them DVDs, CDs, books, and tea (of course) are cheaper in
Britain.
Why is Britain so expensive? One possible reason is the very high cost of
[property], which has a wide-ranging knock-on effect. Another is the lack of the
competition which is encouraged between other European countries because they
use the same currency. But perhaps the real reason is simply that British people
are accustomed to paying a lot. If so, the only hope is that, as more of them are
able to do the [sums] and compare what they paid while on their holidays abroad,
they refuse to [put up with] the high prices any longer.
108. The tax added to the price of st you buy (VAT) value added tax
109. The system whereby income tax is deducted from your pay before you get
it : PAUE (pay as you earn)
110. The system of money used in us until 1971 : LSD
111. The process of turning state-owned companies owned by individual
members of the public: privalization