British Civilization Tests

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007

(Names to be mentioned: Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Bir-mingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Judaism Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scot-

land, England, Wales, Romans, Latin, Britannia.)

- Location: - United Kingdom: -Britain: + and Great Britain: + the name Britain:

formal name: - The United Kingdom

- Area - Population -Major cities: + London +Other cities - Languages - Nationalities

THE BRITISH ISLES THE UNITED KINGDOM

Tran Thanh Hung - M.A. 2007


A. Scotland: (names to be mentioned: Scots, Gaelic, Lowlands, Highlands, Midlands, Uplands, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, St. An-drew, Royal Mile, Scotti, Celt, Celtic, Caledonia, Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland, Lock Ness)

In local language it is called

Rìoghachd na h'Albannach

- Location and area - Population: (the total and population distribution) -Languages

-Main cities: -Scotland‟s name -Noticeable points in brief:

B. England (names to be mentioned: Common Wealth of Nations, Sheffield, Bristol, Sir. Benjamin Hall, Houses of Parliament) England, Anglia in Latin, is a po-litical division of the

island of Great Britain, the principal division of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. -Location and area: -Population -Languages -Main cities -The world famous landmarks:

GREAT BRITAIN

General Introduction

C. Wales (names to be mentioned: Bala Lake, Snowdon,

Cymru, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Taff, Ely, Bristol Channel)

Wales is a unique country within Britain in that it is a Principality. The current Prince of Wales is Prince Charles, the oldest son of

Queen Elizabeth II. Wales and England have been united politically for almost five centuries, the two coun-tries sharing systems of law, land tenure and local gov-ernment. However, the Principality has a history, lan-guage and culture of its own. -Location and area: -Population -Languages -Main cities -Noticeable points in brief

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT


Tran Thanh Hung - M.A. 2007 BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007

1-Fill in the following charts with all names of the constituent parts of the British Isles.

THE BRITISH ISLES

2- What is the difference between Britain and Great

Britain?

3-Where does the name “Britain” come from?

4-What is the population of Britain?

5-Which separates the British land and that of Western

Europe?

6-What do you know about Scotland?

A-Locate Scotland in the British Isles. Just use a couple

of simple sentences.

B-What do you know about languages generally

spoken in Scotland?

C-What is the population of Scotland? Where

is the highest density in Scotland? How is the

population of Scotland distributed?

D-Retell a story you know about the name

‚Scotland‛.

E-Name two of the world-famous Scottish

products.

F-Mention some of typical geographic traits of

the land of Scotland:

G-Mention some of the Scottish typical

cultural traits.

1

Classroom Test One BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007

7-Complete the following sentence:

“Politically, Wales has been united to England for sev-

eral centuries; the two countries have the same

…………………………………………………………………………………………….., but

Wales, the …………………………, has its own…………………………………….

8-What are the languages popularly spoken in The

Principality of the UK?

9- Define “principality” in your own words. What is

“The Principality”?

10-What is Wales generally famous for?

11-What are the seven wonders of London?

13-What do you know about the following

landmarks:

Big Ben, Lock Ness, Snowdon, Stonehenge,

Lake District, and Birmingham Palace?

14-Define the following words:

compromise

constituent nation

population density

urban center

cosmopolitan.

2

Inverness Aberdeen

Belfast Birmingham

Sheffield Bristol

Swansea Cardiff

Newport Edinburgh

Dundee Glasgow

Cork Limerick

Liverpool Manchester

12-Say what you know about the cities mentioned below.

(Just name the country that the city belongs to, say whether the city is the capital city or not, what is famous

about the city and locate the city if you can)

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT



Tran Thanh Hung - M.A. 2007

NAMES TO BE MENTIONED

English Channel Celt Druids Stonehenge

Salisbury BC, AD Altar Silbury Hill

Julius Caesar Kent Londinium Colchester

Christianity Chester Lancaster Gloucester

Anglo-Saxon Angles Saxons Britons

King Arthur Romanized Eleanor Brickdale Excalibur

Round Table Winchester Castle Viking Norseman

Danes Scandinavia King Alfred Wessex

Duke William of Normandy William the Conqueror Norman Parliament

Robin Hood, Sherwood Lancastrians Yorkists Bubonic Plague

Tudor Protestantism Henry VIII Anglicanism

Elizabeth Victoria Cavaliers Roundheads

Catholicism Oliver Cromwell Glorious Revolution Netherlands

Bill of Rights Dissenters Orangemen

Prince William of Orange Whig and Tory Stuart Prince Albert

Victorian Charles Dickens Suffragettes House of Lords

Labour Liberals Conservatives General Strike

SOME WORDS & EXPRESSIONS TO BE USED

a stream of new people the practice of agriculture give the rise to

priests livestock horsemanship

feasting sense of mystery remains

astronomical clock mound sanctuary

aristocracy forts

large-sale, small-scale dominant settle

medieval descendants self-sufficient

convert barons, lords peasants

democracy elected representatives defeat

implement monarch dynasty

rejection patriotism dismiss

emigrate colonization arrogance


I. The Prehistoric Period. Why is prehistoric? The Celts (origin, achievements, char-acteristics) Stonehenge (its mysteries)

II. The Roman Period Things they left behind

III. The Germanic invasions Reason why Roman Britannia disap-peared so quickly The Anglo-Saxons (origin, achieve-ments) King Arthur and his Round Table

The Vikings (or Norsemen, origin, characteristics) King Alfred and Wessex, “Danelaw” England became one kingdom with a Germanic culture throughout

III. The Medieval Period 1066 Barons, Lords and Peasants Magna Carta A cultural split

IV. The Sixteenth Century Tudor dynasty The War of the Roses The Black Death King Henry VIII (why is he well-remembered, Elizabeth I, Ren-aissance, Reformation)

V. The Seventeenth Century The Civil War (Oliver Cromwell, Prince William of Orange)

VI. The Eighteenth Century The joining of parliaments Britain expands its empire The Industrial Revolution (reasons, characteristics, effects)

VII. The Nineteenth Century The UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Queen Victoria (biggest empire, colonization, values, the changes in social structure)

VIII. The Twentieth Century Women can vote TUC

(From the Roman Period to the Eighteenth Century) 55 BC: The Roman general Julius Caesar lands in Britain with an expeditionary force, wins a battle and leaves. The first “date” in popular British history. 43 AD: The Romans come to stay 410 The Romans leave Britain 878 The Peace of Edington partitions, England between the Saxons, led by King Alfred and the Danes. 973 Edgar, grandson of Alfred, became king of all Eng land. 1014 Brian Boru‟s Irish army defeats the Vikings. As a result, Viking settlement in Ireland remains limited and Ireland retains its Celtic identity, never becoming part of the Scandinavian empire. 1066 Battle of Hastings. On 14 October 1066 and invading army from Normandy defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. The battle was close and extremely bloody. At the end of it, most of the best warriors in England were dead, including their leader, King Harold. On Christmas Day that year, the Norman leader, Duke William of Normandy was crowned king of England. 1215 An alliance of aristocracy, Church and merchants

force King John to agree to the Magna Carta (Great Charter), a document in which the king agrees to fol low certain rules of Government. In fact, neither John nor his successors entirely followed them, but Magna Carta is remembered as the first time a monarch

agreed in writing to abide by formal procedures. 1284 The Statue of Wales puts the whole of that country under the control of the English monarch. 1328 After several years of war between the Scottish and English kingdom, Scotland is recognized as an independent kingdom. 1534 The Act of Supremacy declares Henry VIII to be the supreme head of the Church in England. 1538 An English language version of the Bible replaces Latin bibles in every church in the land. 1603 James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England. 1642 The Civil War begins 1649 Charles I is executed. For the first and only time, Britain briefly becomes a republic and is called „ the Commonwealth‟ . 1660 The monarchy and the Anglican religion are restored. 1666 The Great Fire of London destroys most of the city‟s old wooden buildings. It also destroys bubonic plague, which never reappears. Most of the city‟s finest churches, including St. Paul‟s Cathedral, date from the period of rebuilding which follows. 1707 The Act of Union joins the Parliament of Scotland with that of England and Wales 1783 After a war, Britain recognizes the independence of the American colonies 1788 The first British settlers (convicts and soldiers) arrive in Australia 1800 The separate Irish Parliament is closed and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is formed. 1868 The TUC (Trades Union Congress) is formed

OUTLINE

Brief Introduction to History

SOME IMPORTANT DATES IN BRITISH HISTORY

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT



1-What do you know about the first tribes who

streamed to the British Isles? (Mention some of their

prominent characteristics)

2-Say something about an astonishing monumental

architecture of the prehistory period?

3-It is sometimes stated that the Romans did not really

rule Britain during their settlement there, explain why?

4-What did the Romans leave behind?

5-What does the name Anglo-Saxon come from?

6-What is the difference between the Anglo-Saxon

occupation and the Roman occupation?

7-What do you know about the Vikings?

8-Mention one of the reasons why by the end of the

tenth century, England became one kingdom with a

Germanic culture throughout?

9-Why is the year of 1066 considered the most famous

date in English history?

10-Who are the barons, the lords and the peasants?

(their languages, their ownership)

11-What do you know about King Arthur?

12-What do you know about Magna Carta?

1

Classroom Test Two BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007

13-What do you know about Tudor England?

A. Why is it called Tudor England?

B. Who is the most famous king? Why is he

well-remembered?

C. Who is Queen Elizabeth I? Why is her time

considered the ‚Golden Age‛?

D. Mention two or three prominent

achievements of the Tudor England.

E. What do you know about Renaissance?

F-What is the Wars of Roses?

14-What is the Civil War? Why did this war happen?

15-What do you know about the Industrial Revolution?

A. Some of the reasons why did it happen?

B. Changes in Industry

C. Changes in Society

2

PEOPLE PERIODS SOME CHARACTERISTICS THINGS THEY LEFT BEHIND

The Celts

The Romans

The Anglo-Saxons

The Vikings

The Normans

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1-Mention the main stages of education in the UK.

2-What are the three basic features of the British

educational system?

3-What is special about compulsory education in

Britain?

4- What is special about the school year in Britain?

5-When does a child start his or her school age?

6-What is GCSE?

7-What are the choices for a child when he or she

finishes the compulsory education?

8-What are considered as the basic entry requirement

to British universities or colleges?

9-What is Oxbridge?

10-What is the Open University?

11-What are the compulsory core subjects in the

National Curricula?

12-What are public schools in Britain, give the name of

a famous school of this type.

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT


Group Work BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007

1-Why is it true to say: ‘Britain is a parliament

monarchy or a constitutional monarchy’?

2-What is special about the British Constitution

compared to the constitutions of most other

countries?

3-What are the two principles of the British

Constitution?

4-What are the Queen’s basic functions in

theory?

5-Who is the executive, who is the legislature?

What does Parliament consist of?

6-Which is the source of real political power in

Britain; the Crown (or the Monarch), the House

of Lords or the House of Commons?

7-Why is Parliament usually known as

‚Westminster‛ ?

8-What are the four fundamental functions of

Parliament nowadays?

9-How long is the life of a Parliament?

10-Who is the Prime Minister; how is he or she

chosen, how is the Cabinet formed, who are

the members of the Cabinet? (who are

departmental ministers and non-departmental

ministers?)

11-What are the local governments in Britain

often called?

12-Which is the term ‚Whitehall‛ used to refer

to?

HOUSE OF COMMONS No. of members:

Members are called:

Each member represents:

Presided over by:

The main function is:

HOUSE OF LORDS

No. of members:

Members are called:

Presided over by:

The main function is:

Fill in these two charts of Houses of Parliament

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT



1. What is special about the family in Britain today?

2. What are two of the popular sport activities in

Britain?

3. What are two of the noticeable demographic

trends in British population?

4. What are some of the reasons for the decline in

mortality at most ages?

5. What is the most important change in the labor

market in the UK?

6. What are the public holidays throughout the United

Kingdom?

7. What are the two typical types of modern

holidays?

8. On what occasion, people would listen to the

Queen’s speaking directly to “her “ people on

television?

9. What is Auld Lang Syne?

10. What is the custom of “first footing”?

11. Explain the origin of the name Boxing Day.

12. What is the difference of the May Day in Britain

and that in other countries?

13. What do people usually do on Halloween?

14. Explain the origin of the name St. Valentine’s Day

15. What do British children often do on Bonfire Night?

16. What do people in Britain usually do for leisure?

17-What are ‚bank holidays‛?

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT



1- Britannia is the Roman name of the United Kingdom.

2-There are five constituent nations which form the United Kingdom.

3-Northern Ireland is in Great Britain.

4-Britain covers an area of approximately 58,956,000 sq km.

5-Glassgow, Edinburgh and Cardiff are in Scotland.

6-Swansea, Belfast and Dublin are in Britain.

7-Most of the population and majority of Scotland’s industry is located in

the Central Lowlands.

8-Glassgow is the largest population center in Scotland; it is also a large

cosmopolitan city in Europe.

9-Lock Ness is in Wales. Another famous lake, Bala Lake, is also located in

The Principality.

10-The current Prince of Wales is Prince Charles.

11-Snowdon is the highest point in England and Wales.

12-The total population of Wales is estimated at more than 2.9 million repre-

senting about five per cent of the total British population.

13-Wales is famous for its sheep farming, beautiful landscapes and some

mines.

14-The two world famous Scottish products are whisky and textiles.

15-Big Ben is the great bell in the clock tower on the Four Courts building in

Ireland.

16-Bristol is the name of a famous ancient city in England.

17-Both English and Scot Gaelic are used officially in Scotland.

18-English Channel separates the land of the British Isles and that of Western

Europe.

19-Tartan is the name for the traditional musical instrument invented by

Scottish people in the old times.

20-Stonehenge is famous because of its mysteries.

21-The huge stones which were used to construct Stonehenge were

thought to be transported from Wales.

22-Big Ben is named after a famous English worker in the 18th century, Sir

Benjamin Hall.

23-British Parliament is housed at Buckingham Palace.

24-The Principality or Wales is the smallest nation in Great Britain and it also

has the lowest population density.

25– People in Scotland are very proud of their textile industry and whiskies.

26-Hadrian’s Wall was built to prevent the Romans from invading Scotland

in the old times.

27- The British Isles lies off the north-west coast of mainland Europe and is

made up of two countries: The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ire-

land.

28-Britain consists of four countries.

29-The formal name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Britain

and Northern Ireland.

30-There are approximately 9 million people living in Scotland.

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Feedback Test One BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007 2

British

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

The British Isles

Republic of Ireland

Great Britain

Britain

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

English

Welsh

Irish

Scottish

Complete the article with words given in the boxes

Why British not English?

Many foreigners say 'England' and 'English' when

they mean 'Britain', or the 'UK', and 'British'. This is very

annoying for the 5 million people who live in

Scotland, the 2.8 million in Wales and 1.5 million in

Northern Ireland who are certainly not English. (46

million people live in England.) However, the people

from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England

are all _______. So what is the difference between the

names 'Great Britain' and 'the United Kingdom' - and

what about 'the British Isles'?

The United Kingdom

This is an abbreviation of __________________________.

It is often further abbreviated to 'UK', and is the

political name of the country which is made up of

____________, ____________, ___________ and

_______________ (sometimes known as Ulster). Several

islands off the British coast are also part of the United

Kingdom (for example, the Isle of Wight, the Orkneys,

Hebrides and Shetlands, and the Isles of Scilly),

although the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are

not. However, all these islands do recognize the

Queen.

Great Britain

This is the name of the island which is made up of

____________, __________ and ____________ and so,

strictly speaking, it does not include ____________. The

origin of the word 'Great' is a reference to size,

because in many European languages the words for

Britain and Brittany in France are the same. In fact, it

was the French who first talked about Grande

Bretagne! In everyday speech 'Britain' is used to

mean the United Kingdom.

___________________

This is the geographical name that refers to all the

islands off the north west coast of the European

continent: Great Britain, the whole of Ireland

(Northern and Southern), the Channel Islands and the

Isle of Man. But it is important to remember that

Southern Ireland - that is the _________________ (also

called 'Eire') - is completely independent. So you can

see that 'The United Kingdom' is the correct name to

use if you are referring to the country in a political,

rather than in a geographical way. 'British' refers to

people from the UK, Great Britain or the British Isles in

general.

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT



1-England is the largest country of the United Kingdom, occupying well over half of

its geographical area.

2-The year 1066 is a key date for England – an event all English school children are

taught – the last successful invasion of the country.

3-In 1066, Duke William of Normandy defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings

and became King William I, known as William the Conqueror.

4-The first Roman tribes streamed to Britain around 8000 BC.

5-When the Celts overran the British Isles, they subdued and absorbed the

inhabitants of the islands with their iron weapons and two wheel horse-drawn

chariots.

6-Stonehenge is a huge artificial mound, situated near Avebury in Wiltshire,

southern England.

7-The first Roman arrival in Britain was under the war leader Julius Caesar.

8-The Celt constructed their bases in northern parts of the British Isles, which belong

to the land of Scotland today and introduced the early form of agriculture.

9-The first bases of the Roman were built in Glasgow, Scotland of today.

10-The Romans left behind: their network of roads, sites of several important cities

and the initial ideas about Christianity; all these things are still remaining at present.

11-The Romans also introduced to the inhabitants of the British Isles their language

which then developed into the modern Roman family of languages, and which

became the present-day English.

12-The Anglo-Saxon force was formed by the two tribes from Scandinavian

mainland; the Angles and the Saxons.

13- The Anglo-Saxons had a great effect on the countryside, where they

introduced new farming methods and founded thousands of self-sufficient villages

which formed the basis of English society for the next thousand years.

14-The Vikings who followed the Anglo-Saxons and controlled the southern parts of

Britain were the first people to introduce the self-sufficient villages.

15-The Normans under the leadership of William the Conqueror seized Britain from

Northern France.

16-The birth of English class system was in the time of the Norman invasions.

17-The barons were originally the French soldiers.

18-Some of the upper-classed people among Anglo-Saxon communities were

offered the ownership of land and became so wealthy and powerful later.

19-Most of the peasants during the Medieval Period spoke English because they

were originally Anglo-Saxons.

20-The most famous date in English history is the 14th October, 1066 when an

invading army from Normandy defeated the English. The date is

remembered for being the last time that England was successfully invaded.

21-The Wars of the Roses was the war between the monarchy and the

parliamentary supporters.

22-Oliver Cromwell accepted Parliament’s invitation to become king of England.

23-Britain expanded its colonization to almost all parts of the world under the reign

of Queen Victoria.

24-The cultural differences between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings were comparatively

small. They led roughly the same way of life and spoke two varieties of the same

Germanic tongue.

25-King Henry VIII used Parliament to pass laws which swept away the power of the

Protestant Church in England.

26-Hundreds of thousands of people moved from rural areas into new towns and

cities during the time of Industrial Revolution.

27-In Victorian time, the British came to see themselves as having a duty to spread

this culture and civilization around the world.

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Feedback Test Two BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007 2

The Roman Period

The Iron Age

The Period of Germanic Invasions

The Medieval Period

Match the event and the appropriate period

1 - The Anglo-Saxon

advance was

temporarily halted by an army of the Celtic Britons

under the command of the legendary King Arthur.

2- The Norman soldiers

who had been part of the invading army were given

the ownership of land-and of the people living on it.

3 - Most of the Roman

villas, baths, temples and their impressive network of

roads, and the cities they founded, including Lon-

donium (London), were soon destroyed or fell into

disrepair.

4 - For people in Britain

today, the chief significance of this period is its sense

of mysteries.

5 - The Vikings, also known

as Norsemen or Danes, came from Scandinavia.

6 - The word “parliament”

which comes from the

French word ‚parler‛ (to speak) was first used in

England to describe an assembly of nobles called

together by the king.

7 - The round houses and

an early form of

agriculture were introduced to the inhabitants of the

British Isles.

8 - The great Hadrian’s

Wall was constructed,

running across the open country.

9 - The successful invasion

of England by William

the Conqueror brought Britain into the mainstream of

western Europe.

10- The term Anglo-Saxon

is a relatively modern

one. It refers to settlers from the German regions of

Angle and Saxony, who made their way over to

Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire around AD

410.

1 1 - In war, the

Celts used the

sword and the spear. They carried an oval

shield and their armies often made use of light

chariots.

12- Ways of

enjoying life

were introduced, and people started thinking

of feasts and horsemanship.

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT



1-In British educational system, there are three stages including the primary, the

secondary which is for children at around the age of eleven or twelve, and the

tertiary stage which is indeed “further” stage at university or college.

2-Schools funded by the government, either directly or via local education

authorities are called public schools.

3-Education in Britain is compulsory for the most years and the school year is the

longest among the European countries.

4-At the end of their secondary schooling, most pupils in Britain are required to take

a national exam called GCSE.

5-British schools usually divide their year into three terms, staring at the beginning of

September.

6-General National Vocational Qualification consists of courses and exams in

job-related subjects.

7– The sixth form college normally offers courses for students who are not eligible to

enter a university.

8-People around the age of eighteen who wish to go on to higher education may

take A levels.

9-The most famous date in English history is the 14th October, 1066 when an

invading army from Normandy defeated the English. The date is remembered for

being the last time that England was successfully invaded.

10-Oliver Cromwell accepted Parliament’s invitation to become king of England.

11- Britain expanded its colonization to almost all parts of the world under the reign

of Queen Victoria.

12-The cultural differences between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings were comparatively

small. They led roughly the same way of life and spoke two varieties of the same

Germanic tongue.

13- Hundreds of thousands of people moved from rural areas into new towns and

cities during the time of Industrial Revolution.

14-Prince William of Orange became king of England when he defeated the

Normans in the “Glorious Revolution”.

15-The parliamentary forces defeated the royalists “Cavaliers”, the monarchy

soldiers, in the Civil War.

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COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS

1-In Britain, it is compulsory for everyone between the ages of _________ and _______ years to receive some offi-

cially recognized form of schooling.

2-The vast majority of pupils attend ______, which are absolutely free.

3-The private schools are often referred to as ____________

4-The recently introduced National Curriculum has made it compulsory for three core subjects- __________,

_________, and _______________

5-Passage from one academic year to the next is __________

6-Usually from 14 to 16 years of age, most pupils take their ___________________________, assessed on the basis of a

mixture of course work and a written examination, in individual subjects.

7-The entrance requirement to the universities in Britain is the ________course.

8-Oxbridge includes ___________ and __________________

9-The program to encourage unemployed people to receive opportunity to improve their skills and contribute to

society is ___________________________

10-Britian is an active member of a number ________________ _________ which promote international co-operation in

education and training.

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1-The British Isles comprises of ________________ and ________________

2-Britain can be referred to as The ___________________________ or The

________________ in short.

3-The constituent nations of Great Britain are ________________, ________________ and

________________.

4-The nation of highest population density in the British Isles is _________

and the nation of lowest population density in Great Britain is _________

5-The Parliament is the supreme legislative authority and consists of three separate

elements: _________ , _________ , and the elected _________.

6-Parliament is known as _________ because it is housed there while the Government

is normally referred to as _________

7-The Executive includes _________, his or her _________ and all the _________.

8-For people in Britain today, the chief significance of the prehistoric period is its

_________ of _________

9-The most famous site of ancient historic values in Britain today is the _________.

10-The Romans left there things behind when they were driven away from the British

Isles: _________________________, ______________________, and

_______________________

11-During the 5th century, a number of tribes from the ___________________________

mainland invaded and settled in large numbers; the two most well-known of these

tribes were the ________ and ___________which later formed the Anglo-Saxon forces.

12-During the time of Tudor England, the medieval period came to a close, the

power of the English monarch _________ while the strength of the great barons

_________.

13-The reign of the daughter of Henry VIII is known as the “__________________”

14-The transforming from hand work at home to machine work in factories at the

beginning of the 18th century in Britain is the ______________________ .

15-Cardiff is the capital city of _________, which is sometimes referred to as The

Principality.

TASK ONE: COMPLETE THE STATEMENTS BELOW

No. Famous names Periods Known as

1.

King Arthur

The Germanic invasions

Leader of the Celts, fighting against the Anglo-Saxons

2.

Duke William of Normandy

3.

King Henry VIII

4.

Oliver Cromwell

5.

Queen Elizabeth I

6.

Queen Victoria

TASK TWO: COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TABLE

Feedback Test Four BRITISH CIVILIZATION - 2007 2

TASK THREE:

MATCH THE STATEMENT WITH

ITS EQUIVALENT HOLIDAY.

1 - People often send their

lovers flowers,

chocolates and greeting cards on this occasion.

2 - It was the day on

which landowners and

householders would present their tenants and

servants with gifts (in boxes).

3 - It is traditional for

people to play tricks or

practical jokes on each other on this day.

4 - The first Monday in

May. In Britain this day

is associated more with ancient folklore than with the

workers.

5- Second Sunday in

November,

commemorating the dead of both World Wars and of

more recent conflicts.

6 - Some people hold

costume parties on this

occasion. (In these parties, people dress up as

witches, ghosts, etc.)

7- On this occasion, trees,

usually spruces or fir

trees, are placed in town squares, outside churches

and in many homes, decorated with colored lights

and with a large star or an angle at the top.

8 - On this occasion, some

children make a “guy”

out of old clothes stuffed with newspaper and place

this somewhere on the street to ask passers-by for “a

penny for the guy.”

9– There are two popular

events associated with

this day. One of them is the pancake tossing contest.

The other is the pancake race. Contestants have to

run while continuously tossing a pancake. Anyone

who drops his or her pancake is disqualified.

10- People can listen to

the Queen’s

message. This ten minute television broadcast is

normally the only time in the year when the monarch

speaks directly to “her” people on television.

New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter

Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday,

Late Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas,

Boxing Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s

Day, Father’s Day, April Fools’ Day,

Remembrance Sunday, Guy Fawkes’ Day

(Bonfire Night), Shrove Tuesday,

Halloween.

1-In the United Kingdom, full-time education is

compulsory up to the middle teenage years and

the academic year begins at the beginning of

September.

2-All state schools in England, Wales and Northern

Ireland must conform to the National Curricula.

These set out what subjects pupils should study,

what they should be taught and what standards

they should achieve.

3-GCSEs provide a path into both education and

employment. They are broadly based vocational

qualifications incorporating the skills required by

Employers.

4-GCE A levels are the main academic

qualification for entry to higher education and

are normally taken by pupils at age 18 or over.

5-The majority of pupils-over 90 percent-go to

publicly funded schools, usually known as state

schools.

6-Parents have a legal duty to ensure that their

children obtain education between their 5th and

16th birthdays.

7-Britain is an active member of a number of

multinational organizations which promote

international co-operation in education and

training.

8-After the compulsory education, children can

enter their desired universities without having to take

any supporting courses or required tests.

9-Britain has more than 90 universities. British

universities can be divided into several categories.

The foremost universities are the University of Oxford

and the University of Cambridge, both founded in

the Middle Ages. The term Oxbridge is used to refer

to both schools as a single entity.

10-There are usually three to seven core subject in

the National Curricula that British schools are re-

quired to conform to.

TASK FOUR:

CROSS OUT THE INCORRECT STATEMENTS

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT


BRITISH CIVILIZATION

Bình Thuaän, 2007

Duration: 90 minutes Students write the answers into the ANSWER SHEET

1-Lying off the north-west coast of Europe, there are two

large islands and several much smaller ones, which are

collectively known as The British Isles.

2-Great Britain, The United Kingdom or The U.K all refer

to the same nation.

3-The United Kingdom comprises four constituent

countries including respectively Scotland, England,

Wales and Northern Ireland.

4-Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles.

5-In Britain, it is a legal duty for parents to ensure that

their children obtain education between their 5th and

16th birthdays.

6-The British individual’s ability to meet the skills’

standards required at work is certified by

competence-based qualifications: National

Vocational Qualifications in England, Wales and

Northern Ireland, and Scottish Vocational Qualifications

in Scotland.

7-The majority of British pupils - over 90 percent - go to

publicly funded schools, usually known as state schools.

8-At the age of 16, prior to leaving school, students in the

United Kingdom take Advanced Level

examinations, commonly known as “A” Levels.

9-More than 90 universities in Britain can be divided into

several categories, of which the foremost is Oxbridge -

the term used to refer to the University of Oxford and the

University of Cambridge as a single entity.

10-Unlike the constitutions of most other countries in

Europe, that of Britain is not set out in any single

document. Instead British Constitution is made of statue

law, common law and conventions.

11-There are three elements that make up the

Westminster Parliament: the Queen, the House of Lords

and the elected House of Commons.

12-General elections in Britain must be held at least

three years but the Prime Minister has the right to call

elections before the term has expired.

13-One of the most significant changes in the age

structure of Britain’s population over the last 30 years has

been the increasing proportion of people over the

retirement age.

14-Britain has a population of about 59 million

people, the 17th largest in the world. The great

majority, 49.3 million, live in England; Scotland has

just over 5 million people, Wales 2.9 million and

PART ONE: True/ False Questions

20 points

15-Britain has a lower proportion of the

adult population in work than any

other large European country.

16-The most common leisure activities

among people in Britain are

home-based, or social, such as visiting

relatives or friends. Watching television

is by far the most popular leisure

pastime.

17-The Anglo-Saxons had little use for towns and cities.

But they had a great effect on the countryside,

where they introduced new farming methods and

founded thousands of self-sufficient villages .

18-14 October 1066 is the most famous date in British

history when an invading army from Normandy

defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. The

date is remembered for being the last time that

England was successfully invaded.

19-Henry VIII is one of the most well-known monarchs

in English history, chiefly because he took six wives

during his life.

20-The population of Scotland (2003 estimate) is

5,057,400. The population density is about 64 persons

per sq km (166 per sq mi), making Scotland the most

sparsely populated of the major United Kingdom

administrative divisions. The highest density is in the

Central Lowlands, where nearly three-quarters of all

Scots live, and the lowest is in the Highlands.

1-The transforming from hand work at home to ma-

chine work in factories at the beginning of the 18th

century in Britain is the (1)______________________ .

2-One of the most famous and mysterious archeologi-

cal sites in the world is

(2) _________________, probably built between

3000 – 2300 B.C., which is believed to be a sort of

astronomical clock used to mark the passing of

seasons.

3-Cardiff is the capital city of (3) _________, which is

sometimes referred to as The Principality.

4-Glasgow and Edinburgh are two big cities in

(4)__________ .

PART TWO: Fill in the blank

30 points

5-The monarch who herself became a symbol of

Britain’s success in the world is Queen (5)____________.

(She reigned from 1837 to 1901).

6- The Roman withdrew from Britain in 430 AD leaving

behind three things of notable importance: sites of

important (6) _________________, the seeds of

(7) _________________, and a network of (8) _________.

7- The British Constitution contains two main principles,

which are (9) _________________ and (10) ___________.

8-The (11) _________________ _____ is a recently introduced

structure of education making such core subjects as

English, Mathematics, and Science (and seven other

foundational subjects) mandatory curricula for all primary

and secondary pupils.

9-The constituent nations of Great Britain are

(12) __________, (13) ______, and (14) _________________.

10-The most popular alcoholic drink in British pubs is

(15) _________________.

PART THREE: Complete the chart below

10 points

The three bodies that have the power to carry our the constitutional laws:

1.

The Legislature

The Judiciary

The three elements that make up the Parliament:

2.

The House of Lords

The House

of Commons

The four Parliament’s functions today:

3. To raise enough money through taxation

4.

To debate or discuss important political issues

House of Commons House of Lords

number of members

5-

members are called

9- members are called

6-

presided over by

7-

presided over by

10- the main function is

8-

PART FOUR: Give brief answers to the

following questions

10 points

1-What is the difference between Britain and Great Britain?

2-What is the difference in usage between the words

“British” and “English”?

3-What was the Magna Carta?

4-What is GCSE?

5-Why is Big Ben so called?

THE END

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT


BRITISH CIVILIZATION

Bình Thuaän, 2007

ANSWER SHEET

Student’s full name: ___________________________________________________________

ID number: ___________________________________________________________

Class: ___________________________________________________________

—————————————————————

Scores: Marker’s Signature

/ 70 points

PART ONE: True/ False Questions

20 points

PART TWO: Fill in the blank

30 points

1 TRUE FALSE

2 TRUE FALSE

3 TRUE FALSE

4 TRUE FALSE

5 TRUE FALSE

6 TRUE FALSE

7 TRUE FALSE

8 TRUE FALSE

9 TRUE FALSE

10 TRUE FALSE

11 TRUE FALSE

12 TRUE FALSE

13 TRUE FALSE

14 TRUE FALSE

15 TRUE FALSE

16 TRUE FALSE

17 TRUE FALSE

18 TRUE FALSE

19 TRUE FALSE

20 TRUE FALSE

1 1-

2 2-

3 3-

4 4-

5 5-

6 6-

7-

8-

7- 9-

10-

8- 11-

9- 12-

13-

14-

10 15-

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT


—————————————————————

PART THREE: Complete the chart

10 points

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

PART FOUR: Brief answers to the

questions

10 points

Documents

British Civilization Tests