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Chapter 4 · Modern society

Life in the UK test questions: A modern, thriving society

29 free practice questions on a modern, thriving society, with the answer and an explanation for each. The full question bank has 163 questions on this chapter. Practise them all in the app, with instant feedback and smart review of the ones you get wrong.

The UK today

Question 1 · Select ONE answer

The longest distance on the UK mainland runs from John O'Groats in the far north of Scotland to Land's End in Cornwall. Roughly how long is it?

  1. About 870 miles (1,400 km)
  2. About 470 miles (760 km)
  3. About 620 miles (1,000 km)
  4. About 1,250 miles (2,000 km)
Show answer

About 870 miles (1,400 km)

The journey from John O'Groats on Scotland's north coast to Land's End at the south-western tip of England is about 870 miles, or roughly 1,400 kilometres. It is the longest distance on the mainland.

Question 2 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

Land's End, at one end of the longest distance on the UK mainland, is on the north coast of Scotland.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

False

False. Land's End is at the south-western tip of England, in Cornwall. It is John O'Groats, at the other end of the 870-mile route, that lies on the north coast of Scotland.

Question 3 · Select ONE answer

What is the capital city of Wales?

  1. Cardiff
  2. Swansea
  3. Newport
  4. Aberystwyth
Show answer

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital of Wales. The other capitals are London (England and the UK as a whole), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Belfast (Northern Ireland).

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Religion

Question 4 · Select ONE answer

In the 2011 Census, roughly what percentage of people described themselves as Christian?

  1. 59%
  2. 39%
  3. 49%
  4. 79%
Show answer

59%

In the 2011 Census, 59% of people identified as Christian. About a quarter said they had no religion, and Muslims, at 4.8%, were the next largest religious group.

The handbook uses the 2011 Census. In the 2021 Census for England and Wales, 46.2% described themselves as Christian and 37.2% said they had no religion.

Question 5 · Select ONE answer

According to the 2011 Census, which was the largest religion after Christianity?

  1. Islam
  2. Hinduism
  3. Sikhism
  4. Judaism
Show answer

Islam

After Christianity (59%), the largest religious group in 2011 was Muslim at 4.8%, followed by Hindu (1.5%) and Sikh (0.8%). Jewish and Buddhist people each made up under 0.5%.

Question 6 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

In the 2011 Census, about a quarter of people said they had no religion.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

True. About 25% of people reported having no religion in 2011, the most common answer after Christian (59%).

In the 2021 Census for England and Wales, the share of people reporting no religion rose to 37.2%.

Customs and traditions

Question 7 · Select ONE answer

What does Christmas Day, 25 December, celebrate?

  1. The birth of Jesus Christ
  2. The death of Jesus Christ
  3. Jesus Christ rising from the dead
  4. The start of Lent
Show answer

The birth of Jesus Christ

Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is a public holiday. Many people who are not Christian also celebrate it with family meals, decorations and presents.

Question 8 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these days are public holidays in the UK?

  1. Christmas Day
  2. Boxing Day
  3. Valentine's Day
  4. Halloween
Show answer

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December) are public holidays. Valentine's Day (14 February) and Halloween (31 October) are popular traditions but ordinary working days.

Question 9 · Select ONE answer

During Easter, which day marks the death of Jesus Christ?

  1. Good Friday
  2. Easter Sunday
  3. Ash Wednesday
  4. Shrove Tuesday
Show answer

Good Friday

Easter falls in March or April. Christians mark Jesus's death on Good Friday, which is a public holiday, and his rising from the dead on Easter Sunday.

Question 10 · Select ONE answer

What is the day before Lent begins, when many people eat pancakes, called?

  1. Shrove Tuesday
  2. Ash Wednesday
  3. Good Friday
  4. Mothering Sunday
Show answer

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Day, is the day before Lent. Pancakes were traditionally made to use up rich foods before the 40 days of Lent, which begin on Ash Wednesday.

Sport

Question 11 · Select ONE answer

The Ashes is a series of cricket Test matches between England and which country?

  1. Australia
  2. New Zealand
  3. India
  4. South Africa
Show answer

Australia

The Ashes, played between England and Australia, is cricket's most famous contest. Cricket began in England, and a single match can last up to five days and still end in a draw.

Question 12 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO statements about football in the UK are correct?

  1. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own national team.
  2. The English Premier League attracts a huge international audience.
  3. The UK enters the FIFA World Cup as one combined team.
  4. Football is much less popular in the UK than cricket.
Show answer

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own national team. and The English Premier League attracts a huge international audience.

Football is the UK's most popular sport. Each of the four nations has its own national team in competitions such as the World Cup, and the English Premier League is watched all over the world.

Question 13 · Select ONE answer

Who captained the England football team that won the World Cup in 1966?

  1. Bobby Moore
  2. Sir Ian Botham
  3. Sir Roger Bannister
  4. Andy Murray
Show answer

Bobby Moore

Bobby Moore captained England when they won the 1966 World Cup, which was held in England.

Question 14 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO countries play in rugby's Six Nations Championship alongside England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland?

  1. France
  2. Italy
  3. Australia
  4. New Zealand
Show answer

France and Italy

The Six Nations is contested by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. Rugby began in England in the early 19th century and is played in two forms, union and league.

Question 15 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

In rugby, Northern Ireland plays together with the Republic of Ireland as a single team.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

True. England, Scotland and Wales have their own rugby union and rugby league teams, while players from Northern Ireland join those from the Irish Republic in an all-Ireland team.

Arts and culture

Question 16 · Select ONE answer

Which German-born composer became a British citizen and wrote Water Music for King George I?

  1. Henry Purcell
  2. George Frideric Handel
  3. Gustav Holst
  4. Sir Edward Elgar
Show answer

George Frideric Handel

Handel was born in Germany in 1685, settled in London and became a British citizen in 1727. As well as Water Music, he wrote the oratorio Messiah, which choirs still perform today.

Question 17 · Select ONE answer

Which composer wrote The Planets, an orchestral suite in which each movement represents a different planet?

  1. Ralph Vaughan Williams
  2. Sir William Walton
  3. Gustav Holst
  4. Henry Purcell
Show answer

Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (1874–1934) wrote The Planets as a suite of seven movements, each named after a planet. Mars, the Bringer of War, and Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, are among the best-known movements.

Question 18 · Select ONE answer

Which composer wrote the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, the first of which is sung as 'Land of Hope and Glory' at the Last Night of the Proms?

  1. George Frideric Handel
  2. Benjamin Britten
  3. Gustav Holst
  4. Sir Edward Elgar
Show answer

Sir Edward Elgar

Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934) was born near Worcester. His Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, sung with the words 'Land of Hope and Glory', is a traditional highlight of the Last Night of the Proms.

Question 19 · Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

Henry Purcell was organist at Westminster Abbey and wrote church music and operas.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

True

Purcell (1659–1695) was organist at Westminster Abbey. His church music and operas, such as Dido and Aeneas, helped to shape a distinctively British musical style.

Question 20 · Select ONE answer

Which composer wrote the opera Peter Grimes, about a fisherman, and founded a music festival at Aldeburgh in Suffolk?

  1. Benjamin Britten
  2. Sir William Walton
  3. Ralph Vaughan Williams
  4. Sir Edward Elgar
Show answer

Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) set Peter Grimes on the Suffolk coast and founded the Aldeburgh Festival there. He also wrote A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, which introduces the different instruments of the orchestra.

Question 21 · Select the correct statement

Which of these statements is correct?

  1. Sir William Walton wrote Water Music for the coronation of King George I.
  2. Sir William Walton wrote marches for the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
Show answer

Sir William Walton wrote marches for the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

Walton (1902–1983) wrote everything from film scores to opera, including coronation marches for George VI and Elizabeth II; Façade and Belshazzar's Feast are among his best-known works. Water Music was written by Handel for George I, and not for a coronation.

Question 22 · Select ONE answer

The Proms, an eight-week summer season of orchestral classical music, is most closely associated with which London venue?

  1. Wembley Arena
  2. The London Palladium
  3. The Royal Albert Hall
  4. The Royal Festival Hall
Show answer

The Royal Albert Hall

The Proms use several venues, but the Royal Albert Hall is their main home and hosts the famous Last Night of the Proms. The BBC has organised the concerts since 1927.

Question 23 · Select ONE answer

Since 1927, which organisation has run the Proms?

  1. The Arts Council
  2. The Royal Opera House
  3. The National Trust
  4. The BBC
Show answer

The BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has organised the Proms since 1927 and broadcasts the concerts, including the famous Last Night of the Proms. The concerts were first held in 1895.

Leisure

Question 24 · Select ONE answer

What is an allotment?

  1. A piece of land that people rent to grow fruit and vegetables
  2. A garden that the National Trust opens to the public
  3. A share of the prize money from the National Lottery
  4. A space for a stall at a weekly street market
Show answer

A piece of land that people rent to grow fruit and vegetables

Gardening is a popular hobby in the UK. People without a garden, or who want more space, can rent an allotment, often from their local council, to grow their own food.

Question 25 · Select ONE answer

The Chelsea Flower Show, one of the UK's best-known gardening events, is held in which city?

  1. Edinburgh
  2. London
  3. Cardiff
  4. Manchester
Show answer

London

The Chelsea Flower Show takes place in London every May and is run by the Royal Horticultural Society. Garden designers and growers show off their best work there.

Question 26 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these famous gardens are in England?

  1. Hidcote
  2. Bodnant Garden
  3. Sissinghurst
  4. Mount Stewart
Show answer

Hidcote and Sissinghurst

Hidcote is in Gloucestershire and Sissinghurst is in Kent. Bodnant Garden is in north Wales and Mount Stewart is in Northern Ireland, while Scotland's famous gardens include those at Crathes Castle and Inveraray Castle.

Places of interest

Question 27 · Select TWO answers

Which TWO of these statements about Big Ben are correct?

  1. It is the nickname of the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament
  2. It stands on the south bank of the River Thames
  3. The clock is more than 150 years old
  4. It was built to celebrate the new millennium
Show answer

It is the nickname of the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament and The clock is more than 150 years old

Strictly speaking, Big Ben is the great bell, though the name is often used for the whole clock tower at Westminster, on the north bank of the Thames. The clock started keeping time in 1859.

Question 28 · Select the correct statement

Which of these statements is correct?

  1. The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament has been called the Elizabeth Tower since it was completed in 1859.
  2. The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament was named the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Show answer

The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament was named the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

Until 2012 it was known simply as the Clock Tower. It was renamed to honour the Queen's 60 years on the throne.

Question 29 · Select ONE answer

In which county is the Eden Project, with its giant greenhouses of plants from around the world?

  1. Cornwall
  2. Kent
  3. Cumbria
  4. Norfolk
Show answer

Cornwall

The Eden Project, in south-west England, is an educational charity. Its huge covered 'biomes' recreate environments such as a rainforest and a Mediterranean landscape.

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