British Citizenship TestPractice

Chapter 4

A modern, thriving society

Arts, sport, customs, religion and places of interest. Lots of names and dates, and easy marks if you revise it.

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What this chapter covers

Practice questions — chapter 4

20 of our 186 questions for this chapter. Every answer includes the handbook section it comes from.

  1. 1. The Proms, a summer season of orchestral classical music, has been organised since 1927 by which body?

    1. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
    2. The Royal Albert Hall Trust
    3. Arts Council England
    4. The Royal Opera House
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

    The BBC has organised the Proms since 1927. Concerts are held at various venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Last Night of the Proms is the best-known concert of the series.

    Handbook section 4.2

  2. 2. Gustav Holst adapted Jupiter, from his suite The Planets, as the tune for the hymn 'I vow to thee my country'.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: A. True

    True. Jupiter is one of the movements of The Planets, and Holst reworked it into a tune that is now a popular hymn in British churches.

    Handbook section 4.2

  3. 3. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita in collaboration with whom?

    1. Tim Rice
    2. W S Gilbert
    3. Sir Laurence Olivier
    4. Benjamin Britten
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Tim Rice

    Lloyd Webber worked with Tim Rice on Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. He also wrote Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, which have been popular around the world.

    Handbook section 4.2

  4. 4. Select two of the best-known art galleries in the UK.

    Select two answers

    1. Tate Ireland in Belfast
    2. Tate Modern in London
    3. The National Gallery of Wales in Swansea
    4. The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Tate Modern in London and D. The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh

    Well-known galleries include The National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, the National Museum in Cardiff, and the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. They show work by British and international artists.

    Handbook section 4.2

  5. 5. What was Lancelot 'Capability' Brown known for in the 18th century?

    1. Designing the grounds of country houses so that the landscape looked natural
    2. Designing furniture for wealthy families
    3. Designing Art Deco ceramics
    4. Designing gothic public buildings in growing cities
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Designing the grounds of country houses so that the landscape looked natural

    Capability Brown laid out grass, trees and lakes around country houses so the landscape appeared natural. His nickname came from his habit of saying a place had 'capabilities'. Gertrude Jekyll later designed colourful gardens, often working with Edwin Lutyens.

    Handbook section 4.2

  6. 6. Which Anglo-Saxon poem tells of its hero's battles against monsters?

    1. Beowulf
    2. The Canterbury Tales
    3. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    4. Paradise Lost
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Beowulf

    Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon poem, still translated into modern English today. The Canterbury Tales (by Chaucer) and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight survive from the Middle Ages, and Paradise Lost was written much later by John Milton.

    Handbook section 4.2

  7. 7. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. Handel wrote the Water Music for King George I and Music for the Royal Fireworks for his son, George II
    2. Handel wrote the Water Music for King George II and Music for the Royal Fireworks for his son, George I
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Handel wrote the Water Music for King George I and Music for the Royal Fireworks for his son, George II

    The Water Music was composed for King George I, and Music for the Royal Fireworks for George I's son, George II. Both pieces are still very popular today.

    Handbook section 4.2

  8. 8. In a traditional British pantomime, the Dame is a female character who is played by a man.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: A. True

    True. Pantomimes are light-hearted plays with music and comedy, based on fairy stories and staged by many theatres at Christmas. As well as the Dame, they often feature a pantomime horse or cow played by two actors in one costume.

    Handbook section 4.2

  9. 9. Diwali is often called the Festival of Lights. Select two communities that celebrate it.

    Select two answers

    1. Hindus
    2. Sikhs
    3. Buddhists
    4. Jewish people
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Hindus and B. Sikhs

    Diwali is celebrated by both Hindus and Sikhs. It normally falls in October or November, lasts for five days, and celebrates the victory of good over evil and the gaining of knowledge.

    Handbook section 4.3

  10. 10. On which date do people in the UK exchange cards and gifts for Valentine's Day?

    1. 14 February
    2. 1 February
    3. 14 March
    4. 24 February
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 14 February

    Valentine's Day is 14 February, when lovers exchange cards and gifts. Cards are sometimes sent anonymously to someone the sender secretly admires.

    Handbook section 4.3

  11. 11. Which of these best describes the UK's bank holidays, which fall at the beginning of May, in late May or early June, and in August?

    1. Public holidays of no religious significance, when banks and many businesses close
    2. Christian holy days on which church attendance is expected
    3. Days on which only banks close, while all other businesses stay open
    4. Holidays that apply only in Scotland and Northern Ireland
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Public holidays of no religious significance, when banks and many businesses close

    Bank holidays are public holidays with no religious significance, on which banks and many other businesses shut for the day. Northern Ireland has an extra public holiday in July for the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

    Handbook section 4.3

  12. 12. The Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian Church governed by ministers and elders. Who chairs its General Assembly?

    1. The Moderator
    2. The Archbishop of Edinburgh
    3. The First Minister
    4. The monarch
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The Moderator

    The Church of Scotland is Scotland's national Church. The chairperson of its General Assembly is the Moderator, who is appointed for one year only and often speaks on behalf of the Church.

    Handbook section 4.6

  13. 13. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. St David is the patron saint of Wales and his day is celebrated on 1 March
    2. St David is the patron saint of Scotland and his day is celebrated on 30 November
    Show answer

    Answer: A. St David is the patron saint of Wales and his day is celebrated on 1 March

    St David is Wales's patron saint, and St David's Day is 1 March. Scotland's patron saint is St Andrew, whose day is 30 November.

    Handbook section 4.6

  14. 14. Which of these statements is correct?

    1. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays in the UK
    2. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday are both public holidays in the UK
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays in the UK

    Easter falls in March or April. Good Friday marks the death of Jesus Christ and Easter Sunday his rising from the dead, and the public holidays are Good Friday and the Monday that follows Easter Sunday.

    Handbook section 4.3

  15. 15. In which year were films first shown publicly in the UK?

    1. 1896
    2. 1886
    3. 1906
    4. 1916
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 1896

    Public film screenings began in the UK in 1896 and quickly became popular. From the very start British film makers were admired for their clever special effects, and special effects and animation remain a British strength.

    Handbook section 4.4

  16. 16. In which year did Monty Python's Flying Circus bring a new, progressive style of comedy to British television?

    1. 1983
    2. 1969
    3. 1959
    4. 1976
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 1969

    Monty Python's Flying Circus arrived in 1969. Television satire had already been established by shows such as That Was The Week That Was in the 1960s, and continued with Spitting Image in the 1980s and 1990s.

    Handbook section 4.4

  17. 17. In which years has the UK hosted the Olympic Games?

    1. 1912, 1948 and 2012
    2. 1924, 1948 and 2012
    3. 1908, 1948 and 2012
    4. 1908, 1936 and 2012
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 1908, 1948 and 2012

    The UK has staged the Olympics three times: in 1908, 1948 and 2012. Many famous sports, including cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf and rugby, also began in Britain.

    Handbook section 4.7

  18. 18. Sir Steve Redgrave won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games in which sport?

    1. Cycling
    2. Sailing
    3. Swimming
    4. Rowing
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Rowing

    Redgrave's five golds in rowing at successive Games make him one of Britain's greatest Olympians.

    Handbook section 4.7

  19. 19. Select two British Paralympians.

    Select two answers

    1. Ellie Simmonds
    2. David Weir
    3. Dame Kelly Holmes
    4. Sir Chris Hoy
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Ellie Simmonds and B. David Weir

    Ellie Simmonds won Paralympic swimming golds in 2008 and 2012 and was the youngest member of the British team in 2008; David Weir, a wheelchair racer, won six golds across two Paralympic Games and has won the London Marathon six times. Holmes and Hoy competed at the Olympics.

    Handbook section 4.7

  20. 20. At which racecourse is the Grand National held?

    1. Newmarket, in Suffolk
    2. Aintree, near Liverpool
    3. Ayr, in Scotland
    4. Ascot, in Berkshire
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Aintree, near Liverpool

    The Grand National takes place at Aintree near Liverpool. Ayr stages the Scottish Grand National, Royal Ascot in Berkshire is a five-day meeting attended by the Royal Family, and Newmarket in Suffolk is home to the National Horseracing Museum.

    Handbook section 4.7

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