Exercises 1
I. decide whether the following states are true (T) or false (F).
1. The United Kingdom is located in southern Europe.
2. The United Kingdom consists of four political divisions — England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
3. England is one of the two large islands in the British Isles.
4. The British Isles are made up of three large islands and hundreds of small ones. 5. Wales lies on the east coast of the island of Great Britain.
6. The Commonwealth of Nations is a free association of independent countries which has 54 members.
7. In Scotland, rugged mountains, green valleys, and deep, blue lakes provide some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe.
8. The longest river in Britain is the Thames.
9. The largest lake in Britain is the Lough Neagh in northwest England.
10. Britain’s climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that sweeps up from the equator and flows past the British Isles.
11. The English, the Scots, and the Welsh are Anglo-Saxons, but the Irish are Celts.
12. London and England as a whole have great influence over the rest of the United Kingdom
because of their large population.
13. People of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi origin are the largest group of immigrants in
Britain.
14. Compared to the rest of the world, the UK has a smaller percentage of older people and a
higher percentage of younger people.
15. The Welsh language is the official language in Wales. 16. Scottish Gaelic is the official language in Scotland.
17. The English language is the predominant language in Northern Ireland.
18. English people all strive to free themselves of regional or local accents in order to sound like
educated English-speaking people.
19. Social class in the UK lays more emphasis on money and property.
20. Britishness is associated with political, historical, technological, sporting, and cultural
achievements in Britain.
21. The first Roman invasion took place in 43 AD, headed by the Emperor Julius Caesar. 22. The name “England” derived from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who came to
England in the 5th and 6th centuries.
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23. The Magna Carta defined the King’s feudal rights, preventing him from arbitrarily collecting
revenue.
24. The Black Death once ravaged England, carrying off three fourths of the population. 25. During Edward III’s reign, the war with France known as the Hundred Years’ War began. 26. The Wars of the Roses were in the main a great contest for Crown between the rival houses
of York and Lancaster.
27. Queen Mary was a follower of the Church of England and she was determined to make
England once again a Protestant country.
28. James’ son, Charles I, who succeeded him in 1625, also thought that his right to rule was
God-given.
29. The establishment of the British East India Company in 1600 was a case of economic
penetration.
30. Although the monarch does not have any real power, he (or she) does have great influence. 31. Britain does not have a written constitution.
32. Each Member of Parliament represents a constituency, and holds his seat during the life of a
Parliament.
33. The House of Lords is the second chamber where changes in law can be made.
34. The party which wins the second largest number of seats in the House of Lords becomes the
official Opposition.
35. Ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. 36. The two major parties in Britain today are the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democratic
Party.
37. Ministers in Britain cannot be elected Members of Parliament at the same time. 38. Although Britain is a unitary state, it does not have a single legal system. 39. A Magistrates’ Court sits with a jury.
40. The main courts of civil jurisdiction in England and Wales are the County Courts. 41. A century ago the British economy was among the strongest in the world. 42. John Maynard Keynes was an influential American economist.
43. A strong opponent of the policies of the Labor Party, Margaret Thatcher worked to increase
government control over the British economy.
44. In Britain service industries account for about two-thirds of its gross domestic product. 45. Most of the United Kingdom’s trade is with other developed countries, especially other
members of the European Union.
46. Today, the City of London is the center of London where government departments are
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located.
47. Christianity was first introduced into Britain by St. Augustine in the 6th century.
48. Under the Act of Settlement 1701, the British monarch is required to be a member of the
Church of England.
49. The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury. 50. Canterbury Cathedral is used for the Coronation of all British Monarchs. 51. The Baptist Union of Great Britain is the largest of the Free Churches in Britain. 52. The UK has the second largest Jewish community in Western Europe.
53. Parents are required by law to ensure that their children receive compulsory full-time
education between the age of 5 and 16.
54. Most of the state secondary school population in Great Britain attends comprehensive
schools.
55. In the UK, public schools are publicly-funded schools.
56. In the UK, most undergraduate (bachelor’s) degrees take three years to complete.
57. The Open University was intended to give opportunities to adults who have been unable to
take conventional higher education.
58. More than 70 British citizens have been awarded the Nobel Prize in science, second only to
the United States.
II Choose the answer that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. The British Isles are made up of _______.
A. three large islands and hundreds of small ones B. three large islands and dozens of small ones C. two large islands and hundreds of small ones D. two large islands and dozens of small ones
2. Which of the following is NOT a political division on the island of Great Britain?
A. England.
B. Scotland.
C. Northern Ireland. D. Wales.
3. Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the _______ and the
North Sea in the east.
A. east
B. south D. north
C. west
4. The Republic of Ireland was totally independent in the year _______.
A. 1920
B. 1945
D. 1949
C. 1918
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5. The highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, lies in ______.
A. the Highlands
B. the Southern Uplands D. the Lake District
C. the Central Lowlands
6. The British Empire was replaced by the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of
Nations in __________. A. 1921 C. 1945
B. 1931
D. 1950
7. The mountain system the Pennines is often called the backbone of _______. A. England
B. Scotland D. Ireland
C. Great Britain
8. The regional capital of Northern Ireland is _______.
A. Glasgow C. Cardiff
B. Edinburgh D. Belfast
9. Which of the following statements about the climate in Britain is NOT true?
A. Britain’s climate is of the maritime type. B. Winters in Britain are extremely cold. C. Summers in Britain are cool.
D. Britain is warmer than Harbin in winter.
10. The English people and the English language were born from the union of ________. A. the Angles and the Saxons B. Romans and the Norman French C. Danes or Vikings and the Norman French
D. Norman conquerors and the defeated Anglo-Saxons
11. The first known settlers of Britain were _______. A. the Iberians C. the Celts
B. the Beaker Folk D. the Romans
12. About 80,000 Scots speak Gaelic which is an ancient _________. A. Scottish language C. Irish language
B. English language D. Celtic language
13. About three million people have migrated to Britain since World War II. They are mainly
from the West Indies, India and __________. A. Indonesia C. Hong Kong
B. Singapore D. Pakistan
14. In Britain _______ of the population is urban and _______ is rural.
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A. 90% ; 10% C. 70% ; 30%
B. 80% ; 20% D. 60% ; 40%
15. The ancestors of the Welsh were the ancient __________. A. Celts C. Normans
B. Romans D. Britons
16. The average population density in Britain is ______ people per square kilometer. A. 250 C. 800
B. 370 D. 500
17. During the 5th century when the Roman Empire fell, the Germanic _________ invaded and
conquered Britain. A. Angles and Celts C. Angles and Brythons
B. Angles and Picts D. Angles and Saxons
18. The upper class in Britain consists of the following except _________. A. peerage C. landowners
B. gentry D. professionals
19. In 1066 Harold and his troops fought against William’s army on Senlac field near ________. A. London C. Standford
B. Normandy D. Hastings
20. The Plantagenet Dynasty was founded by _________. A. Henry
B. Henry II D. Count of Anjor
C. King Joseph
21. English Reformation was carried out by _______ to change the religion in England from
Catholicism to Protestantism. A. Edward VI
B. Henry VIII D. Elizabeth I
C. Mary I
22. King John was forced by the barons to sign the _______ which restricted the King’s power. A. Bill of Rights C. Provisions of Oxford
B. Petition of Right D. Great Charter
23. Simon de Montfort’s reform is considered to be the beginning of English _______. A. parliament
B. cabinet D. liberty
C. constitution
24. From 1649 to 1658 England was called a Commonwealth. It was ruled first by Oliver
Cromwell as _______. A. Lord Protector
B. Lieutenant General
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