UBS 2 Flashcards
(160 cards)
1
Q
Name the three parts of Britain
A
England, Scotland, Wales
2
Q
Name three ‘Home Counties’ around London
A
Essex, Kent, Surrey
3
Q
Name three hilly regions in England
A
the Pennines, the Lake District, the
Yorkshire Dales,
4
Q
In which region does over one-third of Britain’s population live?
A
In the south east
5
Q
What are ‘sunset’ and ‘sunrise’ areas in Britain?
A
’Sunset’ areas are broadly those where traditional industries have collapsed
during the past 30 years
The north has ’sunrise’ areas, where significant new economic activity is
occuring
6
Q
What is the ‘M4 Corridor’?
A
The most notable sunrise area in the outer core of Britain
7
Q
Name the three elements of Parliament in which British sovereignty
collectively resides.
A
The Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons
8
Q
Name three elements of what is usually considered ‘the constitution’ in the
UK, on which the state operates.
A
Parliamentary ’sovereignty’
An independent judiciary
Consolidation of the rule of law
9
Q
What is Britain’s oldest secular institution?
A
The monarchy
10
Q
What is the essential core of British government, consisting of most senior
ministers, called?
A
The Cabinet
11
Q
What is the permanent body of officials, upon which the British government
depends, called?
A
The Civil Service
12
Q
What are British Government and British Parliament frequently referred to
as?
A
His Majesty’s Government/Mother of Parliaments ili Westminster (?)
13
Q
Which chamber of the British Parliament has more power?
A
The House of Commons
14
Q
Name three functions of the British Parliament.
A
To pass laws
To examine government policy and administration
To debate or discuss important political issues
15
Q
What is the United Kingdom divided into for electoral purposes?
A
Constituencies
16
Q
What is the electoral system in the United Kingdom called?
A
’First-past-the-post’ (FPTP) system
17
Q
Which two political parties in the UK are dominant today?
A
Conservative and Labour Party
18
Q
Which two political parties have been known as ‘Tories’ and ‘Whigs’?
A
Tories – Conservative Party
Whigs – Liberal Party
19
Q
Who are the House of Commons and the House of Lords presided over by,
respectively?
A
The Speaker for the House of Commons
The Lord Chancellor for the House of Lords
20
Q
What are the Opposition spokesmen in British Parliament called?
A
The ’Shadow Cabinet’
21
Q
What are the two types of peers in the House of Lords?
A
Hereditary peers and ’life’ peers
21
Q
What are the MPs who sit behind the members of the Cabinet and the
Shadow Cabinet called?
A
’Back-benchers’
22
Q
What are the two types of lords in the House of Lords?
A
Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual
23
Q
Who did Elizabeth II dislike because of her regal pretensions, which seemed
to challenge the Queen’s status?
A
Margaret Thatcher
24
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
25
Who did Prime Minister Tony Blair call the People`s Princess in a touching
public statement at her funeral?
Princess Diana
26
Name three things which Charter88 called for.
a Bill of Rights, protection of individual liberties and for a written constitution
27
Within the British honours system, what do OBE and MBE mean?
Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Member of the British Empire (MBE)
28
Which term refers to a variety of institutions and organisations lying on the
fringes of government in the UK?
’Quango’
29
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’
30
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.
31
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
32
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
33
Which are two main types of court for criminal cases in the legal system of
England and Wales?
Magistrates Courts
Crown Courts
34
Name the three divisions of the High Court of Justice in England.
Chancery, Family, King’s Bench
35
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
36
Which are two main types of courts in Scotland?
Sheriff’s Courts (for civil and criminal cases)
The Court of Session (for civil cases)
37
Name the three tiers of local government in England.
County, district (borough) and parish councils
38
Name three of the metropolitan counties created in England in the 1970s.
Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Tyne and Wear
39
What is the meaning of the abbreviation GLC in local government in England?
Greater London Council
40
How many borough councils are there in London?
33
41
Name the two basic principles of local government in England?
The efficiency principle
The democratic principle
42
Who are the local government authorities in England composed of?
Elected councillors
Permanent local government officers
43
Who is a ‘provost’ in Scottish local government?
Chairman
44
Who formulated the principles for the national economy followed by both Labour and Conservative governments after World War Two?
John Maynard Keynes
45
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
46
What is the meaning of the abbreviation VAT regarding the sales of goods
and services?
Value Added Tax
47
What is the meaning of the abbreviation FT-SE?
Financial Times-Stock Exchange
48
Which part of British revenue softened the impact of the recession from
1979 to 1985?
Oil revenue
49
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
50
In which year did Britain’s humiliating exit from the ERM happen?
1992
51
Name two of the main areas in which British ‘high-tech’ industries have
developed.
the area between London and Cambridge
52
What is the most important lobby organization for owners and managers in
the UK?
CBI – Confederation of British Industry
53
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
54
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
55
Which are the two principal kinds of bank in the UK?
Retail (the high street banks) and wholesale (merchant banks)
56
In which year did the Big Bang, which allowed any foreign financial
institution to participate in the London money market, happen?
1986
57
What is the name of the coordinating body of British trade unions?
Trade Unions Congress (TUC)
58
Name three of the causes of Britain’s industrial failure in the 20th century.
The stress of two world wars
The loss of empire
Unlike other European powers, Britain failed to rebuild its industries in 1945
59
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
60
Which social class in the UK has the greatest fluidity and mobility?
Middle class
61
Which are the two names for the elite of British society – the ‘top’ 1
percent?
’The Establishment’
’The Great and the Good’
62
Which is the largest ethnic minority community in Britain, by area of origin?
Indian
63
Which two cities in the United Kingdom have the largest concentration of
ethnic minority members?
London and Leicester
64
What is Oxfam an example of?
One of the largest charities is Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief)
It raises 100 million pounds yearly
65
What is the other name for the so-called ’dialect of the BBC’?
Received Pronunciation
66
Which foreign influence was the strongest in shaping popular culture in the
UK after World War Two?
American culture
67
Which were the two most famous pop bands in the UK in the 1960s?
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
68
Which immigrant community had the greatest influence for rebel sub-
cultures in the UK in the 1980s?
Afro-Caribbean
69
In which famous area of London are most of the commercial theatres found?
West End
70
Under which two names are Protestants in Northern Ireland known?
Unionists and Loyalists
71
Under which two names are Catholics in Northern Ireland known?
Nationalists and Republicans
72
Which two political organisations do the Republicans in Northern Ireland
support?
Sinn Fein (’shin fayn’) and IRA (Irish Republican Army)
73
How many counties of historic Ulster form Northern Ireland?
Six counties
74
What is the January 1972 incident, when British troops shot dead 13
unarmed demonstrators in Northern Ireland, called?
’Bloody Sunday’
75
In which year was the peace plan for Northern Ireland, called “The Good
Friday Agreement”, signed?
1998
76
What is the name of the Welsh National Party, and in which year was it
founded?
Plaid Cymru, in 1925
77
How many MPs are there in the Welsh Assembly, formed after the
referendum in 1997?
60 MPs
78
Name the three parts of the cultural divide in Wales.
’Welsh-speaking Wales’
’Radical Wales’
’English Wales’
79
Name three traditional symbols of Welsh identity.
The language
Male-voice choirs
Chapel attendance
80
Name the three distinctive institutions that Scotland kept after
1707.
Its own legal and education systems and its own church ("Kirk").
81
Between which two areas of Scotland is there a big cultural as well as geographical divide?
The Lowlands and Highlands
82
In which year did the government in Whitehall establish a Scottish
Office?
In 1885.
83
Which is the strongest Scottish political party?
Scottish National Party (SNP)
84
In which year was a ‘Claim of Right’ to Scottish parliament
signed?
In 1989.
85
In which year did the population of Scotland vote in favour of devolution at a referendum?
In 1979.
86
Whose founder member was Britain in 1945?
United Nations’
87
With which country does Britain have a ‘special relationship’?
The United States.
88
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.
89
What is the name of the voluntary association of members of the
former British Empire and
Colonies?
The Commonwealth.
90
Who is the titular Head of the Commonwealth?
King Charles III
91
In which year did Britain relinquish sovereignty of Hong Kong?
1997.
92
Name three British 'dependent' territories.
Gibraltar, Bermuda, Falkland Islands.
93
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.
94
What is the meaning of the abbreviation SAS in the British Army?
Special Air Service.
95
Which are the two main British intelligence organisations?
MI5 and MI6
96
What is the meaning of the abbreviation SIS in the British national
security system?
Secret Intelligence Service.
97
At what age do children begin primary education in the UK, and
for how many years is schooling compulsory?
At the age of 5, and for 12 years
98
Which two kinds of schools exist in the UK, regarding the
payment?
State-funded and fee-paying independent schools.
99
What is ‘the sixth form’?
Two final years of secondary education.
100
What is the meaning of the abbreviation GCSE?
The General Certificate of Secondary Education.
101
What is ‘A level’ examination?
General Certificate of Education Advanced Level.
102
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.
103
Name the ’Clarendon Nine’ schools.
Winchester, Eton, St Paul's, Shrewsbury, Westminster, The Merchant
Taylors', Rugby, Harrow and Charterhouse.
104
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.
105
Which are the two oldest British universities, and by what name
are they known together?
Oxford and Cambridge; Oxbridge.
106
Name three ‘popular’ national dailies in the UK.
Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Fail the Sun.
107
Name three ‘quality’ national dailies in the UK.
The Guardian, The Times, The Independent
108
What is the other name for quality newspapers, on account of their larger, rather cumbersome format?
Broadsheets.
109
What was Fleet Street, the centre of the British press for over a
century, colloquially known as?
The Street of Shame.
110
What is the name of Britain’s news agency?
Reuters.
111
What does the acronym BBC stand for and in which year was the
BBC founded?
British Broadcasting Corporation; 1936.
112
Which are the two established or state churches in Britain?
The Church of England and the Church of Scotland.
113
Who has been Supreme Governor of the Church of England ever
since 1534?
The monarch.
114
Who appoints the archbishops, bishops and deans of the Church?
The monarch.
115
Who are the two most senior spiritual leaders of the Church of
England?
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York.
116
Which two poles exist in the Church of England?
The Evangelicals and the Anglo-Catholics.
117
What is the name of the regulating and legislative body of the
Church of England?
The General Synod.
118
Name three of the main nonconformist Christian churches in the
UK.
The Methodist Union, the Baptists and the Salvation Army.
119
Name three of the main non-Christian religions in the UK.
Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.
120
In which year did Britain pioneer the very first public railway?
In 1825.
121
In which year did the London Underground, the oldest one in the
world, open?
In 1863.
122
In which year was the Channel Tunnel opened?
In 1994.
123
Name three airports in London.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton.
124
What is M25?
A motorway (provides the route to bypass the London urban area).
125
Name four typical types of dwellings in Britain.
Flats, detached house, semi-detached, terraced house.
126
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.
127
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.
128
What is the meaning of abbreviations NHS and GP?
National Health Service; General Practitioner.
129
In which year was the NHS established?
In 1948.
130
What did the British government introduce in 1907?
Free meals in schools.
131
What did the British government introduce in 1908?
An old age pension scheme.
132
What did the British government introduce in 1909?
Labour exchanges.
133
What did the British government introduce in 1911?
It made all working people pay "national insurance".
134
135. What is the ‘pub’ shortened for and how do we call the person
who manages the pub?
Public house; publican.
135
In which year did Queen Elizabeth II die and who succeeded her?
In 2022, succeeded by her son Charles III.
136
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.
137
Name the children of Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
138
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.
139
Who is the heir apparent to the British throne and what is his
title?
William, Prince of Wales.
140
Who is the first grandson of King Charles III and what is his
title?
Prince George of Wales.
141
What are the titles of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle?
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex;
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
142
Name three bank holidays in England and Wales.
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Summer Bank Holiday.
143
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".
144
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.
145
146. When are Christmas Eve and Boxing day celebrated in Britain,
respectively?
December 24; December 26.
146
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).
147
On which date is St. Patrick’s Day, the National Day in Northern
Ireland, celebrated annually?
March 17.
148
On which date is St. George’s Day, the National Day in England,
celebrated annually?
April 23.
149
What are the shortened names for the London Underground and
the Channel Tunnel?
The Tube; Chunnel.
150
Name three palaces in London.
Kensington Palace, Saint James's Palace, Hampton Court Palace.
151
Name three museums in London.
British Museum, Natural History Museum, Madame Tussaud’s
152
Name three galleries in London.
Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and National
Gallery
153
Name three parks in London.
Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park.
154
Name three bridges in London.
Tower Bridge, London Bridge, London Millennium Footbridge.
155
In which building are the official London residence and
administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United
Kingdom located?
Buckingham Palace.
156
In which building, dating from the 11th century as the longest-
occupied palace in Europe, is the British royal residence?
Windsor Castle.
157
Whose statue is on Trafalgar Square?
The Nelson's Column is a statue dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson.
158
In which years did London host the Summer Olympic Games?
1908, 1948, 2012.
159
Name the first three Mayors of London.
Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan.
