UBS2

1. Name the three parts of Britain.

England, Scotland, Wales

2. Name three ‘Home Counties’ around London.

Essex, Kent, Surrey

3. Name three hilly regions in England.

Six major hilly regions of England (the Pennines, the Lake District, the Yorkshire
Dales, the moorlands of Cornwall and Devon, the border areas with Scotland
and Wales)
(biraj 3)

4. In which region does over one-third of Britain’s population live?

In the south east

5. What are ‘sunset’ and ‘sunrise’ areas in Britain?

’Sunset’ areas are broadly those where traditional industries have collapsed
during the past 30 years (for example – cotton goods in Lancashire etc.)
The north has ’sunrise’ areas, where significant new economic activity is
occuring (for example – between Manchester and Leeds)

6. What is the ‘M4 Corridor’?

The most notable sunrise area in the outer core of Britain
7. Name the three elements of Parliament in which British sovereignty
collectively resides.
The Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons

8. Name three elements of what is usually considered ‘the constitution’ in the

UK, on which the state operates.
Parliamentary ’sovereignty’
An independent judiciary
Consolidation of the rule of law

9. What is Britain’s oldest secular institution?

The monarchy

10. What is the essential core of British government, consisting of most senior
ministers, called?
The Cabinet

11. What is the permanent body of officials, upon which the British government
depends, called?
The Civil Service

12. What are British Government and British Parliament frequently referred to
as?
His Majesty’s Government
Mother of Parliaments ili Westminster (?)

13. Which chamber of the British Parliament has more power?

The House of Commons
14. Name three functions of the British Parliament.
To pass laws
To raise enough money through taxation to enable the government to function
To examine government policy and administration
To debate or discuss important political issues
(biraj 3)

15. What is the United Kingdom divided into for electoral purposes?
Constituencies

16. What is the electoral system in the United Kingdom called?

’First-past-the-post’ (FPTP) system

17. Which two political parties in the UK are dominant today?

Conservative and Labour Party

18. Which two political parties have been known as ‘Tories’ and ‘Whigs’?
Tories – Conservative Party
Whigs – Liberal Party

19. Who are the House of Commons and the House of Lords presided over by,
respectively?
The Speaker for the House of Commons
The Lord Chancellor for the House of Lords

20. What are the Opposition spokesmen in British Parliament called?

The ’Shadow Cabinet’

21. What are the MPs who sit behind the members of the Cabinet and the
Shadow Cabinet called?
’Back-benchers’

22. What are the two types of peers in the House of Lords?
Hereditary peers and ’life’ peers

23. What are the two types of lords in the House of Lords?
Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual

24. Who did Elizabeth II dislike because of her regal pretensions, which seemed
to challenge the Queen’s status?
Margaret Thatcher

25. Name three reasons why Queen Elizabeth II referred to 1992 as her ‘annus
horribilis’.
The fire at Windsor Castle
The Duke and Duchess of York announced their divorce
Charles and Diana were to separate

26. Who did Prime Minister Tony Blair call the People`s Princess in a touching
public statement at her funeral?
Princess Diana

27. Name three things which Charter88 called for.

They called for: a Bill of Rights, protection of individual liberties and for a
written constitution
28. Within the British honours system, what do OBE and MBE mean?
Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Member of the British Empire (MBE)
29. Which term refers to a variety of institutions and organisations lying on the
fringes of government in the UK?
’Quango’

30. Name two cases of justice miscarriage through the 1990s in Britain, when
people convicted for murder were released because their convictions were
unsound.
’The Maguire Seven’ and ’The Birmingham Six’

31. What is the main virtue of the legal system for England and Wales?
Independence from the system of government and as such, a safeguard of civil
liberties.

32. What is the main vice of the legal system for England and Wales?
Resistance to reform, and the maintenance of its own privileges which may be
contrary to public interest

33. Which two basic elements is the legal system for England and Wales
founded upon?
Acts of Parliament or statue law
Common law which is the outcome of past decisions and practices based upon
custom and reason

34. Which are two main types of court for criminal cases in the legal system of
England and Wales?
Magistrates Courts
Crown Courts

35. Name the three divisions of the High Court of Justice in England.
Chancery, Family, King’s Bench

36. Which two distinct practices, each with entrenched rights, has the legal
profession in England and Wales traditionally been divided into?
Only solicitors may deal directly with the public
Only barristers (professional advocates) may fight a case in the higher courts

37. Which are two main types of courts in Scotland?

Sheriff’s Courts (for civil and criminal cases)
The Court of Session (for civil cases)

38. Name the three tiers of local government in England.

County, district (borough) and parish councils

39. Name three of the metropolitan counties created in England in the 1970s.
Six metropolitan counties (Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Tyne and Wear,
West Midlands, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire)
(biraj 3)

40. What is the meaning of the abbreviation GLC in local government in

England?
Greater London Council

41. How many borough councils are there in London?

33

42. Name the two basic principles of local government in England?

The efficiency principle - that local people can devise a better system for the
local context than can central government
The democratic principle - the right of people to organise community affairs as
they think best

43. Who are the local government authorities in England composed of?
Elected councillors
Permanent local government officers

44. Who is a ‘provost’ in Scottish local government?

Chairman

45. Who formulated the principles for the national economy followed by both
Labour and Conservative governments after World War Two?
John Maynard Keynes

46. Name two of the industries and services that Labour nationalised after
World War Two.
Coal and steel production, gas and electricity supply and the railways
(biraj 2)

47. What is the meaning of the abbreviation VAT regarding the sales of goods
and services?
Value Added Tax
48. What is the meaning of the abbreviation FT-SE?
Financial Times-Stock Exchange (pronounced ’footsie’)

49. Which part of British revenue softened the impact of the recession from
1979 to 1985?
Oil revenue
50. Name the greatest two benefits of privatisation by the Conservative
government until 1996.
It forced prices down
And it forced standards of service up to the benefit of customers and
shareholders

51. In which year did Britain’s humiliating exit from the ERM happen?
1992

52. Name two of the main areas in which British ‘high-tech’ industries have
developed.
Golden Corridor, Silicon Glen and the area between London and Cambridge
(biraj 2)

53. What is the most important lobby organization for owners and managers in
the UK?
CBI – Confederation of British Industry

54. Which two names are used for the district of London where many banks,
financial institutions, and other big companies have their offices?
The City and The Square Mile

55. Name two of the main traditional roles of the Bank of England.
To maintain the stability of the currency
To maintain the stability of the financial system
To ensure effectiveness of the financial sector

56. Which are the two principal kinds of bank in the UK?
Retail (the high street banks) and wholesale (merchant banks)
57. In which year did the Big Bang, which allowed any foreign financial
institution to participate in the London money market, happen?
1986

58. What is the name of the coordinating body of British trade unions?
Trade Unions Congress (TUC)

59. Name three of the causes of Britain’s industrial failure in the 20th century.
(BE SPECIFIC! VAGUE ANSWERS SUCH AS ‘WAR’ OR ‘CULTURAL REASONS’ WILL
NOT BE ACCEPTED)
The stress of two world wars
The loss of empire
Unlike other European powers, Britain failed to rebuild its industries in 1945

60. Which two forms of households have been on the rise in the UK, as
opposed to the nuclear family?
Solitary (people living alone)
’Cohabiting’ where couples live together but never get married

61. Which social class in the UK has the greatest fluidity and mobility?
Middle class
62. Which are the two names for the elite of British society – the ‘top’ 1
percent?
’The Establishment’
’The Great and the Good’

63. Which is the largest ethnic minority community in Britain, by area of origin?
Indian

64. Which two cities in the United Kingdom have the largest concentration of
ethnic minority members?
London and Leicester

65. What is Oxfam an example of?

One of the largest charities is Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief)
It raises 100 million pounds yearly

66. What is the other name for the so-called ’dialect of the BBC’?
’Unmarked’ RP

67. Which foreign influence was the strongest in shaping popular culture in the
UK after World War Two?
American culture

68. Which were the two most famous pop bands in the UK in the 1960s?
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones

69. Which immigrant community had the greatest influence for rebel sub-
cultures in the UK in the 1980s?
Afro-Caribbean

70. In which famous area of London are most of the commercial theatres
found?
West End

71. Under which two names are Protestants in Northern Ireland known?
Unionists and Loyalists

72. Under which two names are Catholics in Northern Ireland known?
Nationalists and Republicans

73. Which two political organisations do the Republicans in Northern Ireland

support?
Sinn Fein (’shin fayn’) and IRA (Irish Republican Army)

74. How many counties of historic Ulster form Northern Ireland?

Six counties

75. What is the January 1972 incident, when British troops shot dead 13
unarmed demonstrators in Northern Ireland, called?
’Bloody Sunday’

76. In which year was the peace plan for Northern Ireland, called “The Good
Friday Agreement”, signed?
1998
77. What is the name of the Welsh National Party, and in which year was it
founded?
Plaid Cymru, in 1925

78. How many MPs are there in the Welsh Assembly, formed after the
referendum in 1997?
60 MPs
79. Name the three parts of the cultural divide in Wales.
’Welsh-speaking Wales’
’Radical Wales’
’English Wales’

80. Name three traditional symbols of Welsh identity.

The language
Eisteddfods
Male-voice choirs
Chapel attendance
Rugby football
(biraj 3)

81. Name the three distinctive institutions that Scotland kept after
1707.
Its own legal and education systems and its own church ("Kirk").

82. Between which two areas of Scotland is there a big cultural as

well as geographical divide?
The Lowlands and Highlands
83. In which year did the government in Whitehall establish a Scottish
Office?
In 1885.

84. Which is the strongest Scottish political party?

Scottish National Party (SNP)

85. In which year was a ‘Claim of Right’ to Scottish parliament signed?

In 1989.

86. In which year did the population of Scotland vote in favour of

devolution at a referendum?
In 1979.

87. Whose founder member was Britain in 1945?

United Nations’

88. With which country does Britain have a ‘special relationship’?

The United States.

89. Name the two provisos with which John Major signed the Treaty
of Maastricht in 1992.
Belief in a free market economy with an unregulated labour force;
Britain's right to opt out of the planned single currency for the Union.
90. What is the name of the voluntary association of members of the
former British Empire and
Colonies?
The Commonwealth.

91. Who is the titular Head of the Commonwealth?

King Charles III

92. In which year did Britain relinquish sovereignty of Hong Kong?

1997.

93. Name three British 'dependent' territories.

Gibraltar, Bermuda, Falkland Islands.

94. Which were the two exceptions in The British Nationality Act of
1981 that stripped the people of 'dependent' British territories of full
British citizenship?
The Falklands and Gibraltar.

95. What is the meaning of the abbreviation SAS in the British Army?
Special Air Service.

96. Which are the two main British intelligence organisations?

MI5 and MI6
97. What is the meaning of the abbreviation SIS in the British national
security system?
Secret Intelligence Service.

98. At what age do children begin primary education in the UK, and
for how many years is schooling compulsory?
At the age of 5.

99. Which two kinds of schools exist in the UK, regarding the
payment?
State-funded and fee-paying independent schools.

100. What is ‘the sixth form’?

Two final years of secondary education.

101. What is the meaning of the abbreviation GCSE?

The General Certificate of Secondary Education.

102. What is ‘A level’ examination?

General Certificate of Education Advanced Level.

103. In the sphere of the British schooling system, what is a school

which is a combination of grammar and secondary modern schools
under one roof called?
Coeducational comprehensives.
104. Name the ’Clarendon Nine’ schools.
Winchester, Eton, St Paul's, Shrewsbury, Westminster, The Merchant
Taylors', Rugby, Harrow and Charterhouse.

105. Name five broad categories which British universities fall into.
The medieval English foundations, the medieval Scottish ones, the
nineteenth-century "redbrick" ones, the twentieth-century "plate-
glass" ones and the previous polytechnics.

106. Which are the two oldest British universities, and by what name
are they known together?
Oxford and Cambridge; Oxbridge.

107. Name three ‘popular’ national dailies in the UK.

Daily Mirror, Daily Mail Sun.

108. Name three ‘quality’ national dailies in the UK.

The Guardian, The Times, The Independent

109. What is the other name for quality newspapers, on account of

their larger, rather cumbersome format?
Broadsheets.

110. What was Fleet Street, the centre of the British press for over a
century, colloquially known as?
The Street of Shame.

111. What is the name of Britain’s news agency?

Reuters.

112. What does the acronym BBC stand for and in which year was the
BBC founded?
British Broadcasting Corporation; 1936.

113. Which are the two established or state churches in Britain?

The Church of England and the Church of Scotland.

114. Who has been Supreme Governor of the Church of England ever
since 1534?
The monarch.

115. Who appoints the archbishops, bishops and deans of the

Church?
The monarch.

116. Who are the two most senior spiritual leaders of the Church of
England?
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York.

117. Which two poles exist in the Church of England?

The Evangelicals and the Anglo-Catholics.

118. What is the name of the regulating and legislative body of the
Church of England?
The General Synod.

119. Name three of the main nonconformist Christian churches in the

UK.
The Methodist Union, the Baptists and the Salvation Army.

120. Name three of the main non-Christian religions in the UK.

Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.

121. In which year did Britain pioneer the very first public railway?
In 1825.

122. In which year did the London Underground, the oldest one in
the world, open?
In 1863.

123. In which year was the Channel Tunnel opened?

In 1994.

124. Name three airports in London.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton.
125. What is M25?
A motorway (provides the route to bypass the London urban area).

126. Name four typical types of dwellings in Britain.

Flats, detached house, semi-detached, terraced house.

127. What are the typical types of dwellings in Britain which are
joined to another house, sharing the same wall and having the same
layout, called?
Semi-detached houses.

128. What are the typical types of dwellings in Britain which are
joined in a row of more than two, sharing the side walls with its
neighbours on both sides, called?
Terraced houses.

129. What is the meaning of abbreviations NHS and GP?

National Health Service; General Practitioner.

130. In which year was the NHS established?

In 1948.

131. What did the British government introduce in 1907?

Free meals in schools.
132. What did the British government introduce in 1908?
An old age pension scheme.

133. What did the British government introduce in 1909?

Labour exchanges.

134. What did the British government introduce in 1911?

It made all working people pay "national insurance".

135. What is the ‘pub’ shortened for and how do we call the person
who manages the pub?
Public house; publican.

136. In which year did Queen Elizabeth II die and who succeeded
her?
In 2022, succeeded by her son Charles III.

137. Who are Britain's longest-reigning and second longest-reigning

monarchs and for how many years did they reign?
Britain's longest reigning monarch was Queen Elizabeth II 70 years.
Second longest was Queen Victoria 63 years.

138. Name the children of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
139. Name the children of King Charles III, together with their
spouses.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, spouse Meghan Markle;
William, Prince of Wales spouse Catherine, Princess of Wales.

140. Who is the heir apparent to the British throne and what is his
title?
William, Prince of Wales.

141. Who is the first grandson of King Charles III and what is his title?
Prince George of Wales.

142. What are the titles of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan
Markle?
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex;
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

143. Name three bank holidays in England and Wales.

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Summer Bank Holiday.
(New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day)
144. Which are the two names for the holiday that falls 41 days
before Easter, at the eve of the Lenten fast?
Pancake Day or ''Shrove Tuesday".
145. When are Spring Bank Holiday and Summer Bank Holiday
celebrated annually in England and Wales, respectively?
Spring Bank Holiday - the last Monday in May;
Summer Bank Holiday - the last Monday in August.

146. When are Christmas Eve and Boxing day celebrated in Britain,
respectively?
December 24; December 26.

147. Who are the patron saints of the four constituent parts of the
UK?
St. Patrick (Ireland), St. David (Wales), St. Andrew (Scotland), St.
George (England).

148. On which date is St. Patrick’s Day, the National Day in Northern
Ireland, celebrated annually?
March 17.

149. On which date is St. George’s Day, the National Day in England,
celebrated annually?
April 23.

150. What are the shortened names for the London Underground
and the Channel Tunnel?
The Tube; Chunnel.
151. Name three palaces in London.
Kensington Palace, Saint James's Palace, Hampton Court Palace.

152. Name three museums in London.

British Museum, Natural History Museum, Madame Tussaud’s

153. Name three galleries in London.

Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and National
Gallery

154. Name three parks in London.

Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park.

155. Name three bridges in London.

Tower Bridge, London Bridge, London Millennium Footbridge.

156. In which building are the official London residence and

administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United
Kingdom located?
Buckingham Palace.

157. In which building, dating from the 11th century as the longest-
occupied palace in Europe, is the British royal residence?
Windsor Castle.
158. Whose statue is on Trafalgar Square?
The Nelson's Column is a statue dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson.

159. In which years did London host the Summer Olympic Games?
1908, 1948, 2012.

160. Name the first three Mayors of London.

Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan.