Life in the UK Test 20

There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected by a form of proportional representation. The Scottish Parliament can pass laws for Scotland on all matters which are not specifically reserved to the UK Parliament

James I and his son Charles I both believed in the ‘Divine Right of Kings’: the idea that the king was directly appointed by God to rule. They thought that the king should be able to act without having to seek approval from Parliament.

The small claims procedure is used for claims of less than £5,000 in England and Wales

In the 2009 Citizenship Survey, 1% of people identified themselves as Sikh.

Oliver Cromwell defeated a Scottish army in the Battles of Dunbar and Worcester

The Laurence Olivier Awards take place annually at different venues in London. There are a variety of categories, including best director, best actor and best actress. The awards are named after the British actor Sir Laurence Olivier, later Lord Olivier, who was best known for his roles in various Shakespeare plays.

Pakistan is currently part of the Commonwealth

16 year olds can drink wine or beer with a meal in a hotel or restaurant as long as they are with someone over 18.

The Iron Age people made the first coins to be minted in Britain, some inscribed with the names of Iron Age kings.

During Charles II’s reign, in 1665, there was a major outbreak of plague in London.

Missionaries from Ireland spread the religion in the north. The most famous of these were St Patrick, who would become the patron saint of Ireland, and St Columba, who founded a monastery on the island of Iona, off the coast of what is now Scotland.

Blind people can get a 50% discount on their TV licence

The Boer War of 1899 to 1902 made the discussions about the future of the Empire more urgent. The British went to war in South Africa with settlers from the Netherlands called the Boers. The Boers fought fiercely and the war went on for over three years. Many died in the fighting and many more from disease. There was some public sympathy for the Boers and people began to question whether the Empire could continue.

Eid ul Adha remembers that the prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to. It reminds Muslims of their own commitment to God. Many Muslims sacrifice an animal to eat during this festival. In Britain this has to be done in a slaughterhouse.

Great Britain refers to England, Wales and Scotland but not Northern Ireland

Andy Murray (1987–) is a Scottish tennis player who in 2012 won the men’s singles in the US Open. In the same year, he won Olympic gold and silver medals. He is also the first British man to win a singles title in a Grand Slam tournament since 1936.

The White Tower in the Tower of London is an example of a Norman castle keep, built on the orders of William the Conqueror.

There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland. Other Protestant Christian groups in the UK are Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Quakers. There are also other denominations of Christianity, the biggest of which is Roman Catholic.

Sir Charles (Charlie) Chaplin became famous in silent movies for his tramp character and was one of many British actors to make a career in Hollywood.

MPs are elected through a system called ‘first past the post’. In each constituency, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected. The government is usually formed by the party that wins the majority of constituencies. If no party wins a majority, two parties may join together to form a coalition.

More serious civil cases in Scotland are dealt with in the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Despite losing the Battle of Britain, the German air force was able to continue bombing London and other British cities at night-time. This was called the Blitz.

The Crown Jewels can be viewed at The Tower of London

St Patrick’s cross is a diagonal red cross on a white ground