A Modern, Thriving Society
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A Modern, Thriving Society
125 questions in this chapter
What is the Turner Prize?
Answer: An annual prize for a British visual artist under 50
The Booker Prize is awarded for:
Answer: The best novel published in the UK in English
The BAFTA awards recognise achievements in which field?
Answer: Film and television
The Laurence Olivier Awards recognise achievements in:
Answer: Theatre
Which famous British author created Sherlock Holmes?
Answer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Which author wrote "Pride and Prejudice"?
Answer: Jane Austen
J.K. Rowling is famous for writing:
Answer: The Harry Potter series
Charles Dickens is famous for writing novels that highlighted:
Answer: The harsh social conditions and poverty of Victorian England
Robert Burns is celebrated in Scotland as:
Answer: A national poet, celebrated on Burns Night on 25 January
What is "Auld Lang Syne"?
Answer: A song written by Robert Burns, traditionally sung at New Year
The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of artists in the:
Answer: Second half of the 19th century
Which British architect designed St Paul's Cathedral in London?
Answer: Sir Christopher Wren
Which famous music venue is located in Cardiff?
Answer: St David's Hall
Which of these is a famous British fashion designer?
Answer: Stella McCartney
Bonfire Night is celebrated on:
Answer: 5 November
What is traditionally eaten on Burns Night in Scotland?
Answer: Haggis, neeps and tatties
When is St George's Day celebrated?
Answer: 23 April
Hogmanay is a traditional celebration in:
Answer: Scotland
What is the National Eisteddfod of Wales?
Answer: An annual Welsh festival of music, poetry, dance and art
Which of the following is a Christmas tradition in the UK?
Answer: Watching the Queen's/King's Christmas speech on television
Remembrance Day is observed on:
Answer: Both 11 November and the second Sunday of November
What is the purpose of wearing a red poppy in November in the UK?
Answer: To remember those who have died in wars
Where is the home of English football?
Answer: Wembley Stadium, London
The "Ashes" is a cricket competition between England and which other country?
Answer: Australia
Wimbledon is a famous annual tennis tournament held in:
Answer: London
The Grand National is a famous:
Answer: Horse race held at Aintree
Where is the National Horseracing Museum located?
Answer: Newmarket, Suffolk
Golf is particularly associated with which UK country?
Answer: Scotland
How many players are in a rugby league team?
Answer: 13
Sir Roger Bannister became famous for:
Answer: Being the first person to run a mile in under four minutes
Sir Steve Redgrave won how many consecutive Olympic gold medals in rowing?
Answer: Five
Jessica Ennis won Olympic gold in which event at the 2012 London Olympics?
Answer: Heptathlon
Andy Murray won which Grand Slam tennis tournament in 2012, becoming the first British man to do so in 76 years?
Answer: US Open
Where is the home of golf in Britain?
Answer: St Andrews, Scotland
The Super League is the most well-known competition in:
Answer: Rugby league
Which of the following is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in England?
Answer: Stonehenge
The Eden Project is located in:
Answer: Cornwall, England
Snowdonia is a national park and mountain range in:
Answer: Wales
Ben Nevis is:
Answer: The highest mountain in the UK, located in Scotland
The Giant's Causeway is located in:
Answer: Northern Ireland
Loch Lomond is:
Answer: The largest loch (inland lake) in Great Britain, located in Scotland
According to the 2011 Census, what percentage of people in the UK identified as Christian?
Answer: Around 59%
Diwali is a festival celebrated by which religion?
Answer: Sikhism and Hinduism
Eid ul Fitr is a celebration marking:
Answer: The end of Ramadan (the Muslim month of fasting)
Vaisakhi is a festival celebrated by:
Answer: Sikhs, celebrating the founding of the Sikh community
Which is the Church of England's most senior bishop?
Answer: The Archbishop of Canterbury
Hanukkah is a festival celebrated by:
Answer: Jewish people
What is the approximate population of the UK today?
Answer: Around 67 million
What percentage of the UK population lives in England?
Answer: Around 84%
What is the currency of the UK?
Answer: The Pound Sterling
Which of these is a long-running British soap opera?
Answer: Coronation Street
The UK's National Lottery draws are held how often?
Answer: Weekly
What is the BBC?
Answer: The British Broadcasting Corporation, a public service broadcaster
Welsh cakes are a traditional food from:
Answer: Wales
The National Trust is an organisation that:
Answer: A charity that preserves important buildings, coastline and countryside
Europe's longest dry ski slope is located near which city?
Answer: Edinburgh
What is a "pub" in British culture?
Answer: A public house where people gather to socialise and drink
Spending time with friends or family, going to the cinema and reading are examples of:
Answer: Leisure activities that are popular in the UK
Gardening and DIY (do-it-yourself home improvement) are:
Answer: Popular leisure activities in the UK
Which of the following is a famous horse racing event held at Epsom?
Answer: The Derby
Which famous painter is associated with the Lake District?
Answer: J.M.W. Turner
John Constable is famous for his paintings of:
Answer: The English countryside, particularly in Suffolk
David Hockney is a famous British:
Answer: Painter
The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts (the Proms) are held at:
Answer: The Royal Albert Hall, London
Which famous playwright wrote "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?
Answer: William Shakespeare
Where is Shakespeare's "Globe Theatre" located?
Answer: London
Which author created the character "James Bond"?
Answer: Ian Fleming
What is the "Edinburgh Festival"?
Answer: The world's largest arts festival, held annually in Edinburgh in August
What is the "West End" in London famous for?
Answer: Its theatre district, including many famous theatres
Which famous British architect designed the Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe) in London?
Answer: Norman Foster
What is "Cockney" rhyming slang?
Answer: A form of slang from London where words are replaced by rhyming phrases
Which of the following is a traditional Christmas custom in the UK?
Answer: Giving and receiving Christmas cards and presents
What is "Boxing Day"?
Answer: The day after Christmas Day (26 December), a public holiday in the UK
What is "Shrove Tuesday" (Pancake Day)?
Answer: The day before Lent begins, traditionally marked by eating pancakes
What is the Chelsea Flower Show?
Answer: The world's most famous garden show, held annually in London
What sport is played at Lord's Cricket Ground in London?
Answer: Cricket
Royal Ascot is a prestigious annual event in which sport?
Answer: Horse racing
The FA Cup is a knockout competition in which sport?
Answer: Football
England's national football team plays its home games at:
Answer: Wembley Stadium, London
Which British tennis player won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016?
Answer: Andy Murray
Where is cricket most popular in the UK?
Answer: England
What is the population of London approximately?
Answer: Around 9 million
The British Museum is located in which city?
Answer: London
The National Museum of Scotland is located in:
Answer: Edinburgh
The Tate Modern art gallery is located in:
Answer: London
Diwali celebrations typically involve:
Answer: Lighting candles and lamps, fireworks and sharing food
According to the 2011 Census, approximately what percentage of people in the UK identified as Muslim?
Answer: About 5%
Which of the following describes the Church of Scotland?
Answer: It is a Presbyterian church, separate from the Church of England
What is Eid ul Adha?
Answer: A festival where Muslims sacrifice an animal to remember Ibrahim's devotion to God
What type of climate does the UK generally have?
Answer: Temperate (mild with rainfall throughout the year)
Which famous novelist wrote "Middlemarch" and "Silas Marner"?
Answer: George Eliot
Which famous Brontë sister wrote "Jane Eyre"?
Answer: Charlotte Brontë
Thomas Hardy's novels are typically set in which region of England?
Answer: The fictional "Wessex" region (based on rural south-west England)
Evelyn Waugh is a celebrated British author known for:
Answer: Comic and satirical novels including "Brideshead Revisited"
Which famous composer wrote the "Planets" suite?
Answer: Gustav Holst
Edward Elgar is famous for composing:
Answer: "Land of Hope and Glory" and the "Enigma Variations"
The poem "Jerusalem" is often sung at sporting events and was written by:
Answer: William Blake
Which Shakespeare theatre company is based in Stratford-upon-Avon?
Answer: The Royal Shakespeare Company
Agatha Christie is famous for:
Answer: Detective fiction featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple
Which TV programme has the longest run in British television history?
Answer: Coronation Street
The National Gallery is located in which London square?
Answer: Trafalgar Square
Which famous museum in London houses the Rosetta Stone?
Answer: The British Museum
The population of the UK is approximately 67 million. Roughly what proportion lives in England?
Answer: Almost all of it — about 84%
Which of these is a traditional British food?
Answer: Fish and chips
Afternoon tea is a British tradition that typically includes:
Answer: Sandwiches, scones and cakes, served with tea
What is the "Notting Hill Carnival"?
Answer: Europe's largest street festival, celebrating Caribbean culture
The RSPCA stands for:
Answer: Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
In which year were the Olympic Games held in London most recently?
Answer: 2012
Sir Mo Farah is famous for:
Answer: Winning Olympic gold medals in long-distance running (5,000m and 10,000m)
Which annual event is held on the Thames in London and involves Oxford and Cambridge?
Answer: The Boat Race
The Henley Royal Regatta is a famous annual event in which sport?
Answer: Rowing
Which pub game is traditionally very popular in the UK?
Answer: Darts
What is "English Heritage"?
Answer: A charity that manages over 400 historic sites in England
Buckfast Abbey is a working Benedictine monastery located in:
Answer: Devon
What is the Caledonian Canal?
Answer: A canal linking the east and west coasts of Scotland through the Great Glen
The Jorvik Viking Centre is located in which British city?
Answer: York
Wales is known for which traditional form of community singing?
Answer: Male voice choirs
What is the national dish widely considered to be one of Britain's most popular today?
Answer: Chicken tikka masala
The Royal Mint is responsible for:
Answer: Making the UK's coins
Guy Fawkes Night is named after:
Answer: One of the conspirators in the 1605 Gunpowder Plot
The Edinburgh International Festival runs alongside which other major event?
Answer: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe
St David's Day (1 March) is traditionally marked by wearing which items?
Answer: A daffodil or leek
Which of the following is a famous English cheese?
Answer: Cheddar
What is the Scottish national dress for men?
Answer: Kilt and sporran
Which race is known as "the greatest show on turf"?
Answer: The Derby at Epsom