Free practice test 6
Life in the UK Practice Test 6
24 questions on Britain since 1945, Arts and culture and How you can support your community. Read through them here with every answer explained, or take the same set as a timed test.
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Questions and answers
Every answer below is marked, with a short explanation and a link to the part of the official handbook it comes from.
Question 1 · Britain since 1945
Why were workers from Ireland and Europe encouraged to come to the UK after the Second World War?
- A.To expand the British Empire
- B.To strengthen the British armed forces
- C.To help rebuild Britain due to labour shortages
- D.To increase tax revenues
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C. To help rebuild Britain due to labour shortages
After the Second World War, there were labour shortages and the British government encouraged workers from Ireland and other parts of Europe to come to the UK and help with reconstruction.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 2 · Britain since 1945
From which countries were people encouraged to come and work in Britain during the 1950s to address labour shortages?
- A.Ireland, India, Pakistan and Australia
- B.The West Indies, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
- C.India, Pakistan, China and Hong Kong
- D.The West Indies, Nigeria, Kenya and India
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B. The West Indies, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
During the 1950s, there was still a shortage of labour in the UK. For about 25 years, people from the West Indies, India, Pakistan and (later) Bangladesh were encouraged to travel to work and settle in Britain.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 3 · Britain since 1945
Which two pop music groups were well known in Britain during the 1960s?
- A.The Beatles and Led Zeppelin
- B.The Rolling Stones and The Kinks
- C.The Beatles and The Who
- D.The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
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D. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
Two well-known pop music groups during the 1960s were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, a period known as the Swinging Sixties.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 4 · Britain since 1945
During the 1960s, in which countries were laws on divorce and abortion liberalised?
- A.England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- B.England and Wales only
- C.Throughout the whole of the UK
- D.England, Wales and Scotland
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D. England, Wales and Scotland
During the 1960s, social laws were liberalised in relation to divorce and abortion in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland was not included in these changes.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 5 · Britain since 1945
Before new workplace laws were passed in the 1960s, what did many employers commonly ask women to do?
- A.Work part-time only
- B.Accept lower pay than men
- C.Retire at the age of 50
- D.Leave their jobs when they got married
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D. Leave their jobs when they got married
It was quite common for employers to ask women to leave their jobs when they got married. Parliament then passed new laws giving women the right to equal pay and making it illegal for employers to discriminate against women because of their gender.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 6 · Britain since 1945
What did Parliament legislate for in order to improve the position of women in the workplace during the 1960s?
- A.The right to own property and open a bank account
- B.The right to stand for Parliament and hold public office
- C.The right to equal pay and protection against gender discrimination
- D.The right to maternity leave and free childcare
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C. The right to equal pay and protection against gender discrimination
Parliament passed new laws giving women the right to equal pay and making it illegal for employers to discriminate against women because of their gender.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 7 · Britain since 1945
Which two countries jointly developed Concorde, the world's only supersonic commercial airliner?
- A.Britain and Russia
- B.Britain and the United States
- C.Britain and Germany
- D.Britain and France
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D. Britain and France
Britain and France jointly developed Concorde, the world's only supersonic commercial airliner, during the 1960s.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 8 · Britain since 1945
Why did the number of people migrating to Britain from the West Indies, India and Pakistan fall in the late 1960s?
- A.The government passed new laws to restrict immigration
- B.Economic conditions in Britain worsened making it less attractive
- C.People preferred to migrate to the United States instead
- D.The countries of origin banned emigration to Britain
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A. The government passed new laws to restrict immigration
The number of people migrating to Britain fell in the late 1960s because the government passed new laws to restrict immigration, requiring immigrants to have a strong connection to Britain through birth or ancestry.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 9 · Britain since 1945
Who developed the television in the 1920s?
- A.Sir Frank Whittle
- B.Alan Turing
- C.John Logie Baird
- D.Sir Robert Watson-Watt
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C. John Logie Baird
The television was developed by Scotsman John Logie Baird in the 1920s. In 1932 he made the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 10 · Britain since 1945
What was the significance of John Logie Baird's broadcast in 1932?
- A.It was the first transatlantic television broadcast
- B.It was the first live radio broadcast in Britain
- C.It was the first colour television broadcast
- D.It was the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow
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D. It was the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow
John Logie Baird, the Scottish inventor who developed television in the 1920s, made the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow in 1932.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 11 · Britain since 1945
Who developed radar by proposing that enemy aircraft could be detected by radio waves?
- A.Sir Frank Whittle
- B.Sir Bernard Lovell
- C.John Logie Baird
- D.Sir Robert Watson-Watt
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D. Sir Robert Watson-Watt
Radar was developed by Scotsman Sir Robert Watson-Watt, who proposed that enemy aircraft could be detected by radio waves. The first successful radar test took place in 1935.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 12 · Arts and culture
What is a British pantomime?
- A.A traditional Scottish dance performance held at Christmas
- B.A light-hearted play with music and comedy, based on fairy stories
- C.A serious play based on historical events, performed at Christmas
- D.A children's puppet show performed in theatres at Christmas
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B. A light-hearted play with music and comedy, based on fairy stories
A British pantomime is a light-hearted play with music and comedy, based on fairy stories and enjoyed by family audiences. Many theatres produce a pantomime at Christmas time.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 13 · Arts and culture
Who traditionally plays the Dame in a British pantomime?
- A.A woman
- B.A man
- C.A child
- D.Two actors
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B. A man
One of the traditional characters in a British pantomime is the Dame, a woman who is played by a man. Pantomimes are light-hearted plays with music and comedy, based on fairy stories and performed at Christmas time.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 14 · Arts and culture
When does the Edinburgh Festival take place?
- A.Every spring
- B.Every summer
- C.Every autumn
- D.Every winter
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B. Every summer
The Edinburgh Festival takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, every summer. It is a series of different arts and cultural festivals, with the biggest and most well-known being the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 15 · Arts and culture
What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe mainly a showcase of?
- A.Dance and visual art
- B.Classical music and opera
- C.Theatre and comedy performances
- D.Film and television productions
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C. Theatre and comedy performances
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, known as 'the Fringe', is the biggest and most well-known festival within the Edinburgh Festival. It is a showcase of mainly theatre and comedy performances and often shows experimental work.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 16 · Arts and culture
Who are the Laurence Olivier Awards named after?
- A.A British director best known for his work in musical theatre
- B.A British playwright known for writing historical dramas
- C.A British actor best known for his roles in Hollywood films
- D.A British actor best known for his roles in Shakespeare plays
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D. A British actor best known for his roles in Shakespeare plays
The Laurence Olivier Awards are named after the British actor Sir Laurence Olivier, late Lord Olivier, who was best known for his roles in various Shakespeare plays. The awards take place annually at different venues in London.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 17 · Arts and culture
What type of artist was John Constable?
- A.A portrait painter
- B.A sculptor
- C.A landscape painter
- D.An engraver
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C. A landscape painter
John Constable (1776-1837) was a landscape painter most famous for his works of Dedham Vale on the Suffolk-Essex border in the east of England.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 18 · How you can support your community
What is volunteering?
- A.Working for good causes without payment
- B.Working for good causes at a reduced rate of pay
- C.Working for the government without payment
- D.Working part-time for a charity
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A. Working for good causes without payment
Volunteering is working for good causes without payment. Many people volunteer to help their community, practise their English or develop work skills.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 19 · How you can support your community
There is no upper age limit for becoming a school governor in the UK.
- A.True
- B.False
- C.-
- D.-
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A. True
There is no upper age limit for school governors in the UK. They must be aged 18 or over at the date of their election or appointment.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 20 · How you can support your community
Which TWO of the following are key roles of school governors?
- A.Monitoring and evaluating school performance
- B.Hiring and firing teachers
- C.Managing the school budget directly
- D.Setting the strategic direction of the school
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A. Monitoring and evaluating school performance · D. Setting the strategic direction of the school
Two of the three key roles of school governors are setting the strategic direction of the school and monitoring and evaluating school performance. The third role is ensuring accountability.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 21 · How you can support your community
What is it called when party members knock on doors to ask for voting support?
- A.Canvassing
- B.Campaigning
- C.Lobbying
- D.Petitioning
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A. Canvassing
Canvassing is when political party members work to persuade people to vote for their candidates, for example by handing out leaflets or knocking on doors. You do not have to tell a canvasser how you intend to vote.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 22 · How you can support your community
You are required to tell a canvasser how you intend to vote.
- A.True
- B.False
- C.-
- D.-
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B. False
You do not have to tell a canvasser how you intend to vote. Canvassing is when political party members ask for voting support by handing out leaflets or knocking on doors.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 23 · Chapter 2: What is the UK?
Where does the UK parliament sit?
- A.Whitehall
- B.The City of London
- C.Westminster
- D.Buckingham Palace
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C. Westminster
The UK is governed by the parliament sitting in Westminster. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own parliaments or assemblies with devolved powers in defined areas.
Read this in the study guideQuestion 24 · The values and principles of the UK
Which TWO of the following are responsibilities of permanent residents and citizens in the UK?
- A.Respect and obey the law
- B.Learn to speak Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
- C.Treat others with fairness
- D.Vote in every election
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A. Respect and obey the law · C. Treat others with fairness
Permanent residents and citizens of the UK are expected to respect and obey the law, respect the rights of others, treat others with fairness, look after themselves and their family, and look after the area in which they live and the environment.
Read this in the study guide
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