UBS 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Name the three parts of Britain

A

England, Scotland, Wales

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2
Q

Name three ‘Home Counties’ around London

A

Essex, Kent, Surrey

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3
Q

Name three hilly regions in England

A

the Pennines, the Lake District, the
Yorkshire Dales,

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4
Q

In which region does over one-third of Britain’s population live?

A

In the south east

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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

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6
Q

What is the ‘M4 Corridor’?

A

The most notable sunrise area in the outer core of Britain

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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

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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

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9
Q

What is Britain’s oldest secular institution?

A

The monarchy

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10
Q

What is the essential core of British government, consisting of most senior
ministers, called?

A

The Cabinet

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11
Q

What is the permanent body of officials, upon which the British government
depends, called?

A

The Civil Service

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12
Q

What are British Government and British Parliament frequently referred to
as?

A

His Majesty’s Government/Mother of Parliaments ili Westminster (?)

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13
Q

Which chamber of the British Parliament has more power?

A

The House of Commons

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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

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15
Q

What is the United Kingdom divided into for electoral purposes?

A

Constituencies

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16
Q

What is the electoral system in the United Kingdom called?

A

’First-past-the-post’ (FPTP) system

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17
Q

Which two political parties in the UK are dominant today?

A

Conservative and Labour Party

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18
Q

Which two political parties have been known as ‘Tories’ and ‘Whigs’?

A

Tories – Conservative Party
Whigs – Liberal Party

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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

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20
Q

What are the Opposition spokesmen in British Parliament called?

A

The ’Shadow Cabinet’

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21
Q

What are the two types of peers in the House of Lords?

A

Hereditary peers and ’life’ peers

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21
Q

What are the MPs who sit behind the members of the Cabinet and the
Shadow Cabinet called?

A

’Back-benchers’

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22
Q

What are the two types of lords in the House of Lords?

A

Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual

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23
Q

Who did Elizabeth II dislike because of her regal pretensions, which seemed
to challenge the Queen’s status?

A

Margaret Thatcher

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24
Q

Name three reasons why Queen Elizabeth II referred to 1992 as her ‘annus
horribilis’.

A

The fire at Windsor Castle
The Duke and Duchess of York announced their divorce
Charles and Diana were to separate

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25
Q

Who did Prime Minister Tony Blair call the People`s Princess in a touching
public statement at her funeral?

A

Princess Diana

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26
Q

Name three things which Charter88 called for.

A

a Bill of Rights, protection of individual liberties and for a written constitution

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27
Q

Within the British honours system, what do OBE and MBE mean?

A

Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Member of the British Empire (MBE)

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28
Q

Which term refers to a variety of institutions and organisations lying on the
fringes of government in the UK?

A

’Quango’

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29
Q

Name two cases of justice miscarriage through the 1990s in Britain, when
people convicted for murder were released because their convictions were
unsound.

A

’The Maguire Seven’ and ’The Birmingham Six’

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30
Q

What is the main virtue of the legal system for England and Wales?

A

Independence from the system of government and as such, a safeguard of civil liberties.

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31
Q

What is the main vice of the legal system for England and Wales?

A

Resistance to reform, and the maintenance of its own privileges which may be contrary to public interest

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32
Q

Which two basic elements is the legal system for England and Wales
founded upon?

A

Acts of Parliament or statue law
Common law which is the outcome of past decisions and practices based upon
custom and reason

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33
Q

Which are two main types of court for criminal cases in the legal system of
England and Wales?

A

Magistrates Courts
Crown Courts

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34
Q

Name the three divisions of the High Court of Justice in England.

A

Chancery, Family, King’s Bench

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35
Q

Which two distinct practices, each with entrenched rights, has the legal
profession in England and Wales traditionally been divided into?

A

Only solicitors may deal directly with the public
Only barristers (professional advocates) may fight a case in the higher courts

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36
Q

Which are two main types of courts in Scotland?

A

Sheriff’s Courts (for civil and criminal cases)
The Court of Session (for civil cases)

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37
Q

Name the three tiers of local government in England.

A

County, district (borough) and parish councils

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38
Q

Name three of the metropolitan counties created in England in the 1970s.

A

Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Tyne and Wear

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39
Q

What is the meaning of the abbreviation GLC in local government in England?

A

Greater London Council

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40
Q

How many borough councils are there in London?

A

33

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41
Q

Name the two basic principles of local government in England?

A

The efficiency principle
The democratic principle

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42
Q

Who are the local government authorities in England composed of?

A

Elected councillors
Permanent local government officers

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43
Q

Who is a ‘provost’ in Scottish local government?

A

Chairman

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44
Q

Who formulated the principles for the national economy followed by both Labour and Conservative governments after World War Two?

A

John Maynard Keynes

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45
Q

Name two of the industries and services that Labour nationalised after World
War Two.

A

Coal and steel production, gas and electricity supply and the railways

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46
Q

What is the meaning of the abbreviation VAT regarding the sales of goods
and services?

A

Value Added Tax

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47
Q

What is the meaning of the abbreviation FT-SE?

A

Financial Times-Stock Exchange

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48
Q

Which part of British revenue softened the impact of the recession from
1979 to 1985?

A

Oil revenue

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49
Q

Name the greatest two benefits of privatisation by the Conservative
government until 1996.

A

It forced prices down
And it forced standards of service up to the benefit of customers and
shareholders

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50
Q

In which year did Britain’s humiliating exit from the ERM happen?

A

1992

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51
Q

Name two of the main areas in which British ‘high-tech’ industries have
developed.

A

the area between London and Cambridge

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52
Q

What is the most important lobby organization for owners and managers in
the UK?

A

CBI – Confederation of British Industry

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53
Q

Which two names are used for the district of London where many banks, financial institutions, and other big companies have their offices?

A

The City and The Square Mile

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54
Q

Name two of the main traditional roles of the Bank of England.

A

To maintain the stability of the currency
To maintain the stability of the financial system
To ensure effectiveness of the financial sector

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55
Q

Which are the two principal kinds of bank in the UK?

A

Retail (the high street banks) and wholesale (merchant banks)

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56
Q

In which year did the Big Bang, which allowed any foreign financial
institution to participate in the London money market, happen?

A

1986

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57
Q

What is the name of the coordinating body of British trade unions?

A

Trade Unions Congress (TUC)

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58
Q

Name three of the causes of Britain’s industrial failure in the 20th century.

A

The stress of two world wars
The loss of empire
Unlike other European powers, Britain failed to rebuild its industries in 1945

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59
Q

Which two forms of households have been on the rise in the UK, as opposed
to the nuclear family?

A

Solitary (people living alone)
’Cohabiting’ where couples live together but never get married

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60
Q

Which social class in the UK has the greatest fluidity and mobility?

A

Middle class

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61
Q

Which are the two names for the elite of British society – the ‘top’ 1
percent?

A

’The Establishment’
’The Great and the Good’

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62
Q

Which is the largest ethnic minority community in Britain, by area of origin?

A

Indian

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63
Q

Which two cities in the United Kingdom have the largest concentration of
ethnic minority members?

A

London and Leicester

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64
Q

What is Oxfam an example of?

A

One of the largest charities is Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief)
It raises 100 million pounds yearly

65
Q

What is the other name for the so-called ’dialect of the BBC’?

A

Received Pronunciation

66
Q

Which foreign influence was the strongest in shaping popular culture in the
UK after World War Two?

A

American culture

67
Q

Which were the two most famous pop bands in the UK in the 1960s?

A

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones

68
Q

Which immigrant community had the greatest influence for rebel sub-
cultures in the UK in the 1980s?

A

Afro-Caribbean

69
Q

In which famous area of London are most of the commercial theatres found?

A

West End

70
Q

Under which two names are Protestants in Northern Ireland known?

A

Unionists and Loyalists

71
Q

Under which two names are Catholics in Northern Ireland known?

A

Nationalists and Republicans

72
Q

Which two political organisations do the Republicans in Northern Ireland
support?

A

Sinn Fein (’shin fayn’) and IRA (Irish Republican Army)

73
Q

How many counties of historic Ulster form Northern Ireland?

A

Six counties

74
Q

What is the January 1972 incident, when British troops shot dead 13
unarmed demonstrators in Northern Ireland, called?

A

’Bloody Sunday’

75
Q

In which year was the peace plan for Northern Ireland, called “The Good
Friday Agreement”, signed?

A

1998

76
Q

What is the name of the Welsh National Party, and in which year was it
founded?

A

Plaid Cymru, in 1925

77
Q

How many MPs are there in the Welsh Assembly, formed after the
referendum in 1997?

A

60 MPs

78
Q

Name the three parts of the cultural divide in Wales.

A

’Welsh-speaking Wales’
’Radical Wales’
’English Wales’

79
Q

Name three traditional symbols of Welsh identity.

A

The language
Male-voice choirs
Chapel attendance

80
Q

Name the three distinctive institutions that Scotland kept after
1707.

A

Its own legal and education systems and its own church (“Kirk”).

81
Q

Between which two areas of Scotland is there a big cultural as well as geographical divide?

A

The Lowlands and Highlands

82
Q

In which year did the government in Whitehall establish a Scottish
Office?

A

In 1885.

83
Q

Which is the strongest Scottish political party?

A

Scottish National Party (SNP)

84
Q

In which year was a ‘Claim of Right’ to Scottish parliament
signed?

A

In 1989.

85
Q

In which year did the population of Scotland vote in favour of devolution at a referendum?

A

In 1979.

86
Q

Whose founder member was Britain in 1945?

A

United Nations’

87
Q

With which country does Britain have a ‘special relationship’?

A

The United States.

88
Q

Name the two provisos with which John Major signed the Treaty
of Maastricht in 1992.

A

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
Q

What is the name of the voluntary association of members of the
former British Empire and
Colonies?

A

The Commonwealth.

90
Q

Who is the titular Head of the Commonwealth?

A

King Charles III

91
Q

In which year did Britain relinquish sovereignty of Hong Kong?

A

1997.

92
Q

Name three British ‘dependent’ territories.

A

Gibraltar, Bermuda, Falkland Islands.

93
Q

Which were the two exceptions in The British Nationality Act of
1981 that stripped the people of ‘dependent’ British territories of full
British citizenship?

A

The Falklands and Gibraltar.

94
Q

What is the meaning of the abbreviation SAS in the British Army?

A

Special Air Service.

95
Q

Which are the two main British intelligence organisations?

A

MI5 and MI6

96
Q

What is the meaning of the abbreviation SIS in the British national
security system?

A

Secret Intelligence Service.

97
Q

At what age do children begin primary education in the UK, and
for how many years is schooling compulsory?

A

At the age of 5, and for 12 years

98
Q

Which two kinds of schools exist in the UK, regarding the
payment?

A

State-funded and fee-paying independent schools.

99
Q

What is ‘the sixth form’?

A

Two final years of secondary education.

100
Q

What is the meaning of the abbreviation GCSE?

A

The General Certificate of Secondary Education.

101
Q

What is ‘A level’ examination?

A

General Certificate of Education Advanced Level.

102
Q

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?

A

Coeducational comprehensives.

103
Q

Name the ’Clarendon Nine’ schools.

A

Winchester, Eton, St Paul’s, Shrewsbury, Westminster, The Merchant
Taylors’, Rugby, Harrow and Charterhouse.

104
Q

Name five broad categories which British universities fall into.

A

The medieval English foundations, the medieval Scottish ones, the nineteenth-century “redbrick” ones, the twentieth-century “plate-glass” ones and the previous polytechnics.

105
Q

Which are the two oldest British universities, and by what name
are they known together?

A

Oxford and Cambridge; Oxbridge.

106
Q

Name three ‘popular’ national dailies in the UK.

A

Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Fail the Sun.

107
Q

Name three ‘quality’ national dailies in the UK.

A

The Guardian, The Times, The Independent

108
Q

What is the other name for quality newspapers, on account of their larger, rather cumbersome format?

A

Broadsheets.

109
Q

What was Fleet Street, the centre of the British press for over a
century, colloquially known as?

A

The Street of Shame.

110
Q

What is the name of Britain’s news agency?

A

Reuters.

111
Q

What does the acronym BBC stand for and in which year was the
BBC founded?

A

British Broadcasting Corporation; 1936.

112
Q

Which are the two established or state churches in Britain?

A

The Church of England and the Church of Scotland.

113
Q

Who has been Supreme Governor of the Church of England ever
since 1534?

A

The monarch.

114
Q

Who appoints the archbishops, bishops and deans of the Church?

A

The monarch.

115
Q

Who are the two most senior spiritual leaders of the Church of
England?

A

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York.

116
Q

Which two poles exist in the Church of England?

A

The Evangelicals and the Anglo-Catholics.

117
Q

What is the name of the regulating and legislative body of the
Church of England?

A

The General Synod.

118
Q

Name three of the main nonconformist Christian churches in the
UK.

A

The Methodist Union, the Baptists and the Salvation Army.

119
Q

Name three of the main non-Christian religions in the UK.

A

Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.

120
Q

In which year did Britain pioneer the very first public railway?

A

In 1825.

121
Q

In which year did the London Underground, the oldest one in the
world, open?

A

In 1863.

122
Q

In which year was the Channel Tunnel opened?

A

In 1994.

123
Q

Name three airports in London.

A

Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton.

124
Q

What is M25?

A

A motorway (provides the route to bypass the London urban area).

125
Q

Name four typical types of dwellings in Britain.

A

Flats, detached house, semi-detached, terraced house.

126
Q

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?

A

Semi-detached houses.

127
Q

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?

A

Terraced houses.

128
Q

What is the meaning of abbreviations NHS and GP?

A

National Health Service; General Practitioner.

129
Q

In which year was the NHS established?

A

In 1948.

130
Q

What did the British government introduce in 1907?

A

Free meals in schools.

131
Q

What did the British government introduce in 1908?

A

An old age pension scheme.

132
Q

What did the British government introduce in 1909?

A

Labour exchanges.

133
Q

What did the British government introduce in 1911?

A

It made all working people pay “national insurance”.

134
Q
  1. What is the ‘pub’ shortened for and how do we call the person
    who manages the pub?
A

Public house; publican.

135
Q

In which year did Queen Elizabeth II die and who succeeded her?

A

In 2022, succeeded by her son Charles III.

136
Q

Who are Britain’s longest-reigning and second longest-reigning
monarchs and for how many years did they reign?

A

Britain’s longest reigning monarch was Queen Elizabeth II 70 years.
Second longest was Queen Victoria 63 years.

137
Q

Name the children of Queen Elizabeth II.

A

King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

138
Q

Name the children of King Charles III, together with their
spouses.

A

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, spouse Meghan Markle;
William, Prince of Wales spouse Catherine, Princess of Wales.

139
Q

Who is the heir apparent to the British throne and what is his
title?

A

William, Prince of Wales.

140
Q

Who is the first grandson of King Charles III and what is his
title?

A

Prince George of Wales.

141
Q

What are the titles of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle?

A

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex;
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

142
Q

Name three bank holidays in England and Wales.

A

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Summer Bank Holiday.

143
Q

Which are the two names for the holiday that falls 41 days before
Easter, at the eve of the Lenten fast?

A

Pancake Day or ‘‘Shrove Tuesday”.

144
Q

When are Spring Bank Holiday and Summer Bank Holiday
celebrated annually in England and Wales, respectively?

A

Spring Bank Holiday - the last Monday in May;
Summer Bank Holiday - the last Monday in August.

145
Q
  1. When are Christmas Eve and Boxing day celebrated in Britain,
    respectively?
A

December 24; December 26.

146
Q

Who are the patron saints of the four constituent parts of the UK?

A

St. Patrick (Ireland), St. David (Wales), St. Andrew (Scotland), St.
George (England).

147
Q

On which date is St. Patrick’s Day, the National Day in Northern
Ireland, celebrated annually?

A

March 17.

148
Q

On which date is St. George’s Day, the National Day in England,
celebrated annually?

A

April 23.

149
Q

What are the shortened names for the London Underground and
the Channel Tunnel?

A

The Tube; Chunnel.

150
Q

Name three palaces in London.

A

Kensington Palace, Saint James’s Palace, Hampton Court Palace.

151
Q

Name three museums in London.

A

British Museum, Natural History Museum, Madame Tussaud’s

152
Q

Name three galleries in London.

A

Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and National
Gallery

153
Q

Name three parks in London.

A

Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park.

154
Q

Name three bridges in London.

A

Tower Bridge, London Bridge, London Millennium Footbridge.

155
Q

In which building are the official London residence and
administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United
Kingdom located?

A

Buckingham Palace.

156
Q

In which building, dating from the 11th century as the longest-
occupied palace in Europe, is the British royal residence?

A

Windsor Castle.

157
Q

Whose statue is on Trafalgar Square?

A

The Nelson’s Column is a statue dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson.

158
Q

In which years did London host the Summer Olympic Games?

A

1908, 1948, 2012.

159
Q

Name the first three Mayors of London.

A

Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan.