Life in the UK Test 3rd Edition Practice 3

The countries that make up the UK all have flowers which are particularly associated with them and which are sometimes worn on national saints’ days:

• England – the rose
• Scotland – the thistle
• Wales – the daffodil
• Northern Ireland – the shamrock.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint, called a patron saint. Each saint has a special day:

• 1 March: St David’s Day, Wales
• 17 March: St Patrick’s Day, Northern Ireland
• 23 April: St George’s Day, England
• 30 November: St Andrew’s Day, Scotland.

Members of the public are not allowed in Youth Courts, and the name or photographs of the accused young person cannot be published in newspapers or used by the media.

Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist. Her books include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Her novels are concerned with marriage and family relationships. Many have been made into television programmes or films.

Bank holiday: A day when most people have an official day off work and many businesses are closed. A bank holiday can also be called a public holiday.

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments.

The most famous tournament hosted in Britain is The Wimbledon Championships, which takes place each year at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only ‘Grand Slam’ event played on grass.

By law, radio and television coverage of the political parties must be balanced and so equal time has to be given to rival viewpoints.

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments. These include:

• Chancellor of the Exchequer – responsible for the economy
• Home Secretary – responsible for crime, policing and immigration
• Foreign Secretary – responsible for managing relationships with foreign countries
• other ministers (called ‘Secretaries of State’) responsible for subjects such as education, health and defence.

It is a criminal offence to sell alcohol to anyone who is under 18 or to buy alcohol for people who are under the age of 18. (There is one exception: people aged 16 or over can drink alcohol with a meal in a hotel or restaurant).

Skara Brae on Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland, is the best preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe, and has helped archaeologists to understand more about how people lived near the end of the Stone Age.

Scientists led by Ernest Rutherford, working at Manchester and then Cambridge University, were the first to ‘split the atom’ and took part in the Manhattan Project in the United States, which developed the atomic bomb.

Located on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway is a land formation of columns made from volcanic lava. It was formed about 50 million years ago. 

The second-largest party in the House of Commons is called the opposition. The leader of the opposition usually becomes Prime Minister if his or her party wins the next General Election.

The leader of the opposition also appoints senior opposition MPs to be ‘shadow ministers’. They form the shadow cabinet and their role is to challenge the government and put forward alternative policies.

Elections for the European Parliament are held every five years. Elected members are called members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

he British constitution is not written down in any single document, and therefore it is described as ‘unwritten’. 

The official home of the Prime Minister is 10 Downing Street, in central London, near the Houses of Parliament. He or she also has a country house outside London called Chequers.

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day and is a public holiday.

In the UK, you must be at least 17 years old to drive a car or motor cycle and you must have a driving licence to drive on public roads. 

A good way to support your local community is to shop for products locally where you can. This will help businesses and farmers in your area and in Britain.

The Welsh government and National Assembly for Wales are based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. 

Some of the principles included in the European Convention on Human Rights are:

• right to life
• prohibition of torture
• prohibition of slavery and forced labour
• right to liberty and security
• right to a fair trial
• freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• freedom of expression (speech).

Judiciary: All the judges in a country. Together, they are responsible for using the law of the land in the correct way.

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments. These include:

• Chancellor of the Exchequer – responsible for the economy
• Home Secretary – responsible for crime, policing and immigration
• Foreign Secretary – responsible for managing relationships with foreign countries
• other ministers (called ‘Secretaries of State’) responsible for subjects such as education, health and defence.