Life in the UK mock test 2

John Constable and Joseph Turner

Turner did much to raise the status of landscape painting, and Constable is famous for his views of Dedham Vale. Freud painted portraits, and Moore was a sculptor.

Weaving and Banking

Many Huguenot refugees were well educated, finding work as scientists, bankers, weavers and craftspeople.

Show evidence of English speaking and listening skills at B1 level and Pass the Life in the UK test

Applicants must pass the Life in the UK test. They also need evidence of B1-level spoken English, but owning property and passing a driving test are not requirements.

True

London hosted the Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012.

William the Conqueror had the Tower of London first built.

The Tower of London dates from William the Conqueror's reign after 1066. Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) give tours, and the Crown Jewels are kept there.

False

Caesar's invasion of 55 BC failed, and Britain stayed outside the Roman Empire for almost a century afterwards.

False

Iron Age people produced the first coins made in Britain, some bearing the names of their kings. That is where written British history begins.

False

The public cannot attend Youth Court hearings, and the young person's name and photo must not be published.

About an hour

Donated blood helps hospitals treat many injuries and illnesses, and a donation takes only about an hour.

True

Volunteering can improve your English and build skills that help you find work and strengthen your CV.

False

The prize is awarded each year for the best novel, not for poetry.

The handbook says it is called the Man Booker Prize. Since 2019, it has been called the Booker Prize.

The National Trust and The National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and its Scottish counterpart is the National Trust for Scotland. Both charities keep many places open to visitors.

Police and Crime Commissioners decide local policing priorities and budgets.

Directly elected PCCs set local priorities and budgets and appoint the Chief Constable.

The handbook says elected Police and Crime Commissioners oversee local policing. Since 2025, the government has planned to abolish the role in 2028.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock directed The 39 Steps in 1935 before moving to Hollywood.

The Police Ombudsman's Office

Complaints can be made at a police station or to the force's Chief Constable. In Northern Ireland they go to the Police Ombudsman's Office.

Liberty and Greenpeace

Pressure groups try to influence policy: Greenpeace campaigns on the environment and Liberty on human rights.

Robert the Bruce's Scots beat the English at Bannockburn in 1314.

Victory at Bannockburn in 1314 meant Scotland remained unconquered by England.

The Scots language and Standard English

Burns used three styles: pure Scots, English sprinkled with Scottish words, and standard English.

Idleness and Squalor

Beveridge's 1942 report named Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness as the evils to tackle, laying the groundwork for the welfare state.

True

The handbook credits Shakespeare with being among the first writers to show ordinary English men and women on stage, alongside kings and queens.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Day, falls the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

Forcing a woman to have sex is rape, even when the man is her husband.

Rape charges can be brought against any man who forces a woman into sex, and that includes her husband.

1949

In 1922 the southern part of Ireland was made the Irish Free State, and in 1949 it declared itself a republic.

1936

The BBC's radio service started in 1922. In 1936 it began the world's first regular high-definition television service (Germany had a lower-definition one from 1935).