TEST 17

A very impressive hill fort from the Iron Age can still be seen today at Maiden Castle, in the English county of Dorset.

The Northern Ireland Assembly can make decisions on issues such as education, agriculture, the environment, health and social services.

A British sailor, Sir Francis Chichester, was the first person to sail singlehanded around the world, in 1966/67.

In 1837, Queen Victoria became queen of the UK at the age of 18.

In 1605, a group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes failed in their plan to kill the Protestant king with a bomb in the Houses of Parliament. This is the origin of the Bonfire Night celebration on the 5th November, when people in Great Britain set off fireworks at home or in special displays.

Before the 18th century, agriculture was the biggest source of employment in Britain.

In Scotland the elected members, called MSPs, meet in the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood in Edinburgh.

There is a long history of motor sport in the UK, for both cars and motor cycles. Motor-car racing in the UK started in 1902. The UK continues to be a world leader in the development and manufacture of motor-sport technology.

The Habeas Corpus Act became law in 1679. This was a very important piece of legislation which remains relevant today. The Act guaranteed that no one could be held prisoner unlawfully. Every prisoner has a right to a court hearing.

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) is in Glasgow.

The Council of Europe is separated from the EU. It has 47 member countries, including the UK, and is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in those countries.

MPs are elected through a system called ‘first past the post’. In constituency, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected.

There are programmes specific to Northern Ireland and some programmes broadcast in Irish Gaelic.

The Pre-Raphaelites were an important group of artists in the second half of the 19th century. They painted detailed pictures on religious or literary themes in bright colours. The group included Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Sir John Millais.

Eid ul Adha reminds Muslims of their own commitment to God.

The population of the UK in 1901 was 40 million people.

People in the UK have to pay tax on their income, which includes: wages from paid employment, profits from self-employment, taxable benefits, pensions and income from property, savings and dividends.

Sir Peter Mansfield (1933-), a British scientist, is the co-inventor of the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner. This enables doctors and researchers to obtain exact and non-invasive images of human internal organs and has revolutionised diagnostic medicine.

Colin Firth praised the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in “The King’s Speech” at the 83rd Oscars in 2011.

Tilda Swinton was highly praised for her performance as the ruthless general counsel Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton (2007), role that earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, alongside Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Parts of Hadrien’s Wall, including the forts of Housesteads and Vindolanda is a popular area for walkers and is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.

Since 1999, hereditary peers have lost the automatic right to attend the House of Lords. They now elect a few of their number to represent them in the House of Lords.

In the UK, many parts of the countryside and places of interest are kept open by the National Trust in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the National Trust for Scotland. Both are charities that work to preserve important buildings, coastline and countryside in the UK.

Following the Black Death, the smaller population meant there was less need to grow cereal crops. There were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages. New social classes appeared, including owners of large areas of land (later called the gentry), and people left the countryside to live in the towns. In the towns, growing wealth led to the development of a strong middle class.

Welsh cakes are a traditional Welsh snack made from flour, dried fruits and spices, and served either hot or cold.