TEST 24

The queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart (often now called ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’) was a Catholic. She was only a week old when her father died and she became queen.

The first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa in 1872.

Shakespeare had a great influence on the English language and invented many words that are still common today.

The Northern Ireland Assembly building is known as Stormont and it is located in Belfast.

As a result of the Black Death, one third of the population of England died and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales.

Poems which survive from the Middle Ages include Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and a poem called Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, about one of the knights at the court of King Arthur.

The fundamental principles of British life include: tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, the rule of law, democracy, individual liberty and participation in community life.

The shamrock is the flower associated with Northern Ireland.

The longest distance on the mainland is from John O’Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land’s End in the south-west corner of England. It is about 870 miles (approximately 1,400 kilometres).

In the years leading up to 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a series of poems in English about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. The people decided to tell each other stories on the journey, and the poems describe the travellers and some of the stories they told. This collection of poems is called The Canterbury Tales.

The Laurence Olivier Awards recognise achievements in the area of theatre.

In the UK, there is a National Lottery for which draws are made every week.

There are five ski centres in Scotland, as well as Europe’s longest dry ski slope near Edinburgh.

Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were accused of taking lovers and executed.

Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in the UK.

The population of the UK in 1600 was just over 4 million people.

In Scotland, 31 December is called Hogmanay.

The Life in the UK test is usually taken is English, although special arrangements can be made if you wish to take it in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.

In 1996, two British scientists, Sir Ian Wilmot and Keith Campbell, led a team which was the first to succeed in cloning a mammal, Dolly the sheep.

Vaisakhi (also spelled Baisakhi) is a Sikh festival which celebrates the founding of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa. It is celebrated on the 14th of April each year with parades, dancing and singing.

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.

St Pancras Station was built in the 19th century.

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are elected by a form of proportional representation.

Popular programmes in the UK include regular soap operas such as Coronation Street and EastEnders.