Questions assigned as homework Flashcards
What is the relation between the CID and the MET?
CID stands for Criminal Investigation Department, which is part of the Metropolitan Police (MET).
What is meant by the New Scotland Yard?
It is the building which is the headquarters of the MET’s Criminal Investigation Department
What are the popular nicknames for the police?
fuzz, cops, pigs, boys in blue, Mr Plod, The Sweeney. Bobby comes from Robert Peel, founder of the MET.
In what sense do the police in England differ from the Dutch police?
There is no national police force for Britain. All police employees work for one of the 50 or so separate forces, each with responsibility for a certain geographical area. They don’t carry guns: “violence breeds violence”.
What kind of court is the Magistrates court and who presides over it?
The Magistrates court is one of the two kinds of court and deals with more than 90% of all cases. Every town has a magistrates’ court. A panel of magistrates (ordinary lay people, not trained lawyers) passes judgement. There is no jury and the magistrates don’t get paid.
What is the difference between this court and a Crown Court?
Serious cases go to crime court after they have been heard in a magistrates’ court. In Crown Court a professional lawyer acts as a judge.
What is the highest court of appeal in Britain and under what circumstances can you appeal to it?
It is Supreme Court. This court only does cases of national interest, e.g. Brexit.
What is the function of the judge in a crown court?
To act as a referee between prosecution and defence, to decide what evidence can be taken into account by the jury and to impose a punishment on those found guilty.
What is the function of the jury? How does a Scottish jury differ?
The jury takes the decision regarding guilt or innocence. A jury has 12 members, but in Scotland sometimes 15. There is a third verdict possible: guilty, not guilty, not proven.
What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?
A solicitor is a lawyer who deals with the public, can be found at High Street. They handle most legal matters for their clients, including the drawing up of documents (wills, divorce papers, contracts etc.) and present their client’s case in a magistrates’ court. A barrister (member of the bar, Q.C.) presents cases in higher court. They are ‘senior’ to solicitors and mostly self-employed.
Who appoints the judges, magistrates and other legal officers?
Justice Secretary as the big boss, job done by Judicial Appointments Commission.
bail
a condition on which a person who has been charged with a crime can go free until the time of trial. Typically, this is a sum of money guaranteed on behalf of the charged person. He/She has to hand in the passport.
defendant
the party against whom a claim is brought in a criminal court case (the person accused of a crime)
verdict
the decision of the court
sentence
punishment
probation
set free, but regular meetings with a social worker must take place.
What was the position of Canada and Australia in the British Empire at the time of the Versailles treaty (1919)?
They represented themselves as independent countries. It was the beginning of the end of the Empire.
How does the Suez affair (1956) illustrate the deterioration of Britain’s power in the world?
Britain and France were forced to give up the fight. This was a humiliating. Britain lost face and therefore part of its power.
Why do Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands prefer to remain dependent on Britain?
They are afraid of being swallowed up by their neighbours. Remaining part of the empire guarantees safety and financial support.
What is the Commonwealth?
It is an international organization, composed of 52 countries that used to be part of the British Empire. Some of these countries have even kept the British monarch as head of state. They hold annual meetings.
Can you guess why the Irish Republic does not belong to the Commonwealth?
It was excluded because of the way they became independent.
What are the three branches of the British armed forces?
The Royal Navy (most senior), The Royal Air Force (RAF) and the army.
In what ways are British attitudes towards the European Union ambiguous (onduidelijk)?
Should Britain act alone in military cases or only on behalf of the EU? Britain is afraid of losing identity and becoming part of a Federal Europe. Being part of the EU is only an economic necessity. They are not enthusiastic.
What was the outcome of the 1975 referendum on British membership of the European Community?
two-to-one majority (67%) to continue, but without enthusiasm. They just saw it as a necessary evil.
What elections were held in Scotland and Wales in May 1999?
Whether to become independent or not. The Scottish Parliament came back (disappeared in 1707). Britain has a Welsh devolution, which is not the same as the Parliament.
Names used for people from Northern Ireland who are loyal to the United Kingdom
Loyalists
Unionists
Orangemen
Names used for people from Northern Ireland who are for an independent Ireland
Republicans
Nationalists
Who are Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster?
They both have been First Ministers of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was a member of the IRA.
What is the present political situation in Northern Ireland?
Stable, relative peace.
What is the established church in England?
Anglican, but about 40% isn’t religious.
What is the difference between the ‘high’ church and ‘low’ church?
The ‘high’ Anglo-Catholic church has high church services: colourful, organ music, elaborate priestly clothing. The ‘low’ evangelical church prefers plain services with a minimum of ceremony.
Name the two archbishops of the Church of England.
Canterbury and York
In what sense does a Catholic priest differ from an Anglican priest?
The Pope is head of the Catholic church, the Queen of the Anglican Church.
A Catholic priest is not allowed to marry. An Anglican priest can.
Catholic priests are men. Anglican priests can be women since 1992.
What are the influences of religion on British politics?
There are 26 bishops in the House of Lords and the Queen is head of the Anglican Church.
What are nonconformists?
They don’t accept the authority of the Anglican church (Wales!). Nonconformists place great importance on finding the truth for oneself in the words of the Bible and on living a life of hard work and self-sacrifice. No worldly pleasures as theatre, drinking, gambling etc. No hierarchy.
What do a verger, a warden and a sexton have in common?
They are all lay persons in church.
What is the established Church of Scotland and who is head of this church?
The established Church of Scotland is the Presbyterian Church (kirk). Its head is the ‘Moderator’.
Explain the sentence: ‘The Anglican Church was disestablished in Wales’.
Wales used to be part of the Church of England. For that reason it was the established church, but it had only few followers. Disestablished means, that the establishment has come to an end.
Methodist
follows the teachings of John Wesley, an 18th century preacher. They focus on the needs of ordinary people to spread the Christian message. The Salvation Army grew out of the Wesleyan movement.
New Age
a range of beliefs which can involve elements of Christianity, eastern religions and ancient pagan belief all mixed together.
rector
a priest or minister who is in charge of a church or parish.
chaplain
a priest or other religious leader who performs religious services for a military group (such as the army) or for a prison, hospital, etc.
Episcopalian
official name for the Anglican church in Scotland and the USA and the official term used to denote all of these churches, including the Church of England, as a group.
Explain: ‘Public means private’ and mention some characteristics of public schools and mention some famous public schools.
Private schools are called public schools because they are independent and not funded by the government. They were boys-only boarding schools, divided in houses, place great emphasis on sports. This has changed. Famous public schools are Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and Winchester.
For what kind of education does a public school prepare their pupils and what kind of exams must be taken to get there?
The emphasis was on ‘character building’ and the development of ‘team spirit’ rather than on academic achievement. They prepare their students to take up the higher positions and to pass Matric exams.
What is the role of the Local Education Authority (LEA) in English Education?
They decide about the exact dates of the holidays, the exact hours of the school day and school finances. As many details as possible are left up to the LEA.
What is meant by the National Curriculum and what would be the Dutch equivalent?
What should be learned at school (set of subjects). Dutch: kerndoelen.
How is the school year divided up?
There are three terms: autumn term, spring term and summer term. Each term has a half-term (half-term holiday).
At what age do you take the GCSE exams, who sets them and who are allowed to take them?
It’s a secondary education exam, taken at the age of 15 or 16 years and set by different examining boards. Marks (A-G) are given for each subject separately.
Explain the term sixth form, what kind of pupils study here?
Children older than sixteen, preparing for A levels to go to university.
Mention the university degrees, what would be the Dutch equivalent?
Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, Doctorate.
What is the difference between Oxbridge and the ‘redbrick’ universities?
Oxbridge (Oxford (oldest one) and Cambridge) was founded in medieval times and has the lowest student/staff ration in Britain. There are a lot of facilities. Redbrick universities were founded during the 19th century and started to prepare students for London University degrees. Nowadays they are universities themselves.
What kind of universities are the newer civic universities?
Technical colleges set up by local authorities. They have become universities. Known for their flexibility.
What is the importance of exam league tables in education?
They show how schools perform.
What was the difference between a grammar school and a secondary modern school and how has this system been changed?
Conservative children from the upper-class and upper middle-class went to grammar school. Labour lower class children went to secondary school. Now, all children go to local comprehensive schools because of equality of chances. Those were set up to replace poor-performing secondary schools. They got better results and there for a better reputation.
What is the difference between white collar workers and blue collar workers?
Blue collar workers are manual workers. White collar workers are non-manual workers.
Read the context of this quotation from page 141:
‘…certain organizations of professional workers, such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have never belonged to the Trades Union Congress’.
What are professional workers?
A member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified professional activiy.
What was Thatcherism and what economic changes were influenced by Thatcherism? (state companies, local government services, distribution of wealth, income tax).
Thatcherism was a conservative way of thinking: de-nationalisation / privatizing from state companies. Local government services were encouraged to contract out their responsibility to commercial organisations. Rich people got richer, the poor didn’t.
industrial action
any action taken by a union, e.g. a strike or slow-down.
off-licence
special shop that sells alcohol to drink somewhere else.
pub = on-licence, customers are allowed to drink it there
footsie
popular name for the list of the 100 largest British companies
high street bank
banks which have a branch in almost every town in Britain, e.g. Barclays, Lloyds, TSB, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland.
guid
the pound
ofwat, oftel
ofwat monitors the privatized water companies. Ofcom monitors the privatized communications industry (tv, radio, telecommunications)
shop steward
an employee of an organization who represents fellow workers in discussions with the management and is also a labour union member.
the square mile
City of London, UK’s trading centre
high street shops
bigger shops in the main street
HM Revenue + Customs
UK customs and tax department
UWV
Job Centre Plus
FNV/CNV
TUC
BTW
VAT
ABN-AMRO
Barclays, Santander etc.
uitzendbureau
employment agency
VNO (werkgeversorganisatie)
the Confederation of British Industry
Albert Heijn
Sainsbury’s or Tesco
V&D
Marks & Spencer
What is the difference between broadsheets and tabloids (circulation, size, layout and content)?
Broadsheets: quality newspapers, better educated readers, a lot of text, more serious content like politics, traditionally large-sized paper.
Tabloids: more popular, more readers, more pictures, larger headlines, simpler style of English, popular content about sex and scandal, traditionally smaller pages.
Mention four Sunday papers that have very high circulations.
UK: Sun on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Mirror, Sunday Express
Scotland: The Sunday Post, the Sunday Mail
What is the political bias of:
- the Guardian
- the Daily Telegraph
- the Daily Mirror
- the Independent
The Guardian – left (Labour)
The Daily Telegraph – right (Conservative)
The Daily Mirror – left of centre
The Independent – centre
Who runs the British press?
A rather small number of extremely large multinational companies. There is no government interference. Freedom of speech is a high valued basic constitutional right.
Mention four British magazines.
TV Choice, Cosmopolitan, Radio Times, the Economist, Private Eye, the Spectator
Why did the British press establish the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) in September 2014?
It was the windup of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) which received a lot of criticism for its lack of action, so it had to be replaced.
How does the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) differ from Independent Television (ITV) and Channel 4?
There is no advertizing on the BBC. You have to pay a licence fee. Other channels are paid for through advertisements.
Mention three ways in which the BBC is dependent on the government.
- It gets its licence to broadcast from the government. They have the right to take away the licence.
- The government decides how much the licence fee is which everybody who uses a television set has to pay, so how much money the BBC can spend on its programmes.
- The government has the right to veto any BBC programme before it has been transmitted.
- The government appoints the BBC’s board of directors.
Why do you think the government said that public transport should pay foritself during the 1980s?
Part of Thatcherism. De-nationalisation.
What role do environmental groups play in public transport?
They want more public and less private transport because of pollution etc. They try to delay the expansion of roads, airports etc.
What do AA and RAC stand for?
AA = Automobile Association. RAC = Royal Automobile Club. Kind of ANWB: they provide help when your car breaks down.
What has led to the decline of the lollipop lady?
More and more children were being driven to school by car instead of walking to school.
What does the British motorist hate most?
Traffic wardens.
Mention a few ‘transport symbols’ of London.
red double-decker buses, the Underground, black taxis
What is meant by the ‘dominance of London’?
London is the centre of the transport network: road numbering, railway etc.
What do we learn about the British regarding queueing?
The British are very organized.
Explain the term ‘chunnel’.
It stands for the channel tunnel between Calais and Folkestone.
What is Heathrow and why is it so important?
Heathrow is the world’s second busiest passenger airport on the western edge of London.
Explain the difference between welfare and welvaart in Dutch.
The Dutch word for welfare state is verzorgingsstaat. Welvaart means prosperity. Welfare means being taken care for.
Mention the three main items of the benefit system.
housing benefit, disability living allowance, pension after retirement, sickness and unemployment benefits, health service.
What is meant by dole money?
Money received from the Job Centre while being unemployed.
AOW
state pension
Kinderbijslag
child benefit
huursubsidie
housing benefit
Tafeltje-dek-je
meals-on-wheels
huisarts
GP
zorgverzekering
NHS (National Health Service)
The Samaritans
free counselling by phone to anybody who is in
despair.
Barnardo’s
helps children in need
The Salvation Army
various kinds of help to the most desperate and needy, for example overnight accommodation for homeless.
MENCAP and MIND
help the mentally handicapped and campaign on their behalf
How is the NHS financed and what do you have to do to get into the system?
National insurance contributions are compulsory and deducted from people’s salaries. People only have to register with a local NHS doctor to get into the system.
Explain why so many people want to have private medical insurance.
Under private schemes, people can choose to have their operation whenever, and as soon as, they want.
What does it mean if a hospital or a GP ‘opts out’?
They opt out of government and go private.
Who was Florence Nightingale?
She became famous for her organization of nursing and hospital facilities during the Crimean War in the 1850s. Because of her, nurses have an almost saintly image in the minds of the British public, being widely admired for their caring work. They are badly paid. Florence Nightingale herself was firmly middle-class, she had no need to worry about money. She was the Lady with the Lamp.
MENCAP
charity organization on behalf of the mentally handicapped
NHS
National Health System (ziekenfonds)
BUPA
private health insurance
CAB
Citizen’s Advice Bureau
What is the special position of hospital consultants and what is their connection with Harley Street?
They are allowed to work part-time for the NHS and spend the rest of their time earning big fees from private patients. Some have a surgery in Harley Street in London, conventionally the sign that a doctor is of the highest quality.
Torenflat
tower block
Buitenwijk
suburb
Hypotheek
mortgage
Hypotheekbank
building societies
Huurwoning (gemeente)
council house
Makelaar
estate agent
Een woning kraken
to squat
What do English people like about a thatched cottage?
It refers to the pre-industrial age and creates nostalgic cosy feelings.
What are stately homes?
Old country houses, often with a great deal of land attached, in which aristocratic families have lived for hundreds of years.
What was the effect of Thatcherism on home ownership?
More property, less rental houses. Right to buy, the right of council house tenants to buy their home. Home-owner ship increased.
Mention two groups that are referred to as Travellers.
Roma and New Age Travellers
porch
an entrance covered by a roof outside the front door of a house
lounge
lower class living room
drawing room
upper-middle class living room
crescent
street with a curved shape
Why are Britain and good food two things which are not
commonlyassociated? Is this still the case?
It has very little taste. Most visitors eat the food cooked in large numbers (canteens, cheap restaurants) and don’t know the better home cooking. Life and habits in Britain are simply not oriented to food very much. The country has no restaurant culture.
What is a fry-up? Give an example.
It’s an English breakfast and contains a lot of fried items like eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes etc.
What is seen as a basic necessity for British households? Why do you think this is the case?
pop-up toaster
What is a pie? Explain and give examples.
Meat or vegetables baked inside a pastry or potato covering. E.g. mud
pie, apple pie.
Explain the terms: ‘Salmonella’ and ‘mad cow disease’.
Salmonella is a bacteria that can be found in warm-blooded animals. Mad cow disease is a cattle disease.
Explain the terms: ‘elevenses’ and ‘supper’
Elevenses = a cup of tea and biscuits around 11 a.m. Supper = evening meal
Alcohol is a huge problem among young people nowadays. Explain why.
Alcohol interferes with the way people do and think and make the more likely to act carelessly. When young people drink alcohol, they are more likely to end up in dangerous situations.
Explain the term: ‘binge drinker’.
Someone who drinks a lot of alcohol in a short period of time with the intention to get drunk.
What is a pub? What does the name mean and what are its typical features?
Pubs are places where people comfortably meet others, drink and talk. They are classless and old-looking. There is no waiter service. You order at the bar. Pubs are ‘the heart of England’. It’s culture to meet there.
In what ways do British pubs differ from Dutch ones?
You have to ask for your drinks at the bar. Pubs are old-looking. Pub games are frequently played. It’s kind of a living room where people meet each other.
Why is sport seen as a national passion in Britain?
It plays a more important role in people’s lives than in most other countries. It’s entertainment.
Explain the expression ‘Gentlemen and players’.
Amateurs and professional sportsmen. First-class cricket.
What is the social importance of sport?
People watch together. They are involved. It’s not about high sports standards but about the events and the happening.
The Ashes
Cricket: England vs Australia in a series of matches.
The Calcutta Cup
Rugby: England vs Scotland
The Triple Crown
Rugby: won by 1 of the 4 nations if they beat all the other three in the same year
On the ropes
- comes from boxing
* means in a weak position, close to defeat or failure
Stumped
- comes from cricket
* means at a loss for an answer or solution to a problem
First past the post:
- comes from horse racing and riding
* means winner
Why is the British nation considered as a nation of gamblers?
British people like to place bets on future results. Even if they don’t play sports themselves, they can be involved in this way. It’s very widespread throughout all social classes. It is so basic to sport, that the word ‘sportsman’ used to be a synonym for ‘gambler’.
What are ‘the arts’?
t’s an umbrella term for literature, music, painting, sculpture, crafts, theatre, opera, ballet, film etc. It usually implies seriousness, so that activities which are regarded as too ‘light’ may not be included. These may be referred to simply as ‘entertainment’ instead.
What is culture?
- way of life
* the arts
Glyndebourne
Opera House in East Sussex
Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place near Pilton, Somerset. In addition to contemporary music, the festival hosts dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts.
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as the BBC Proms or Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London, England, UK.
Describe the British Library
It has a copy of every publication produced in Britain and Ireland. Its collection includes more than 15 million books, 300,000 of them in manuscript form. The collection needs more than 600km of shelves. It’s free for everyone.
Why do you think painting and sculpture are not as widely popular as music?
Painting and sculpture are specific kinds of ‘the arts’. Music is ‘lighter’ and therefore more accessible for the larger public.
What are bank holidays? Mention a few of them.
Bank holidays are public holidays, originally ‘holy days’, e.g. Christmas and Easter.
A typically British Christmas tradition is the pantomime. What does it involve?
It is staged in hundreds of theatres and specifically designed to appeal to young children. It usually involves the activing out of a well-known folk tale with plenty of opportunity for audience participation. There are a lot of conventions, e.g. the young hero played by a woman instead of a man and a ‘dame’ played by a man.
Why is Hogmanay such a special occasion in Scotland?
Calvinists were not happy with the celebration of religious occasions as Christmas. Therefore New Year is given particular importance.
Guy Fawkes’ Day
to celebrate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot (5th of November)
Orangeman’s Day
It celebrates the Glorious Revolution (1688) and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne (1690), which began the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. (12th of July)
Can you guess why St. Patrick’s Day (17 March) is a public holiday in Northern Ireland but St. David’s Day (1 March) is not a public holiday in Wales?
Wales is not Catholic, Saint’s Days are.
What happens on Remembrance Day (second Sunday of November)?
People donate money to charities for ex-servicemen and wear poppies to commemorate the dead of both World Wars and more recent conflicts.
