COMPETITION TASKS: BRITISH CIVILIZATION (2014/2015)
Remember to mark all your answers on the answer sheet.
TASK 1 Answer the questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
TASK 2
Quiz on British Monarchs
Who is famous for having six wives?
Who was executed after formal trial?
Who is famous for burning some cakes?
Who is the longest-reigning monarch in British history so far?
Whose soldiers murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury?
Who was forced to sign the Magna Charta?
Who is famous for never having married?
Who is famous because of Camelot and the knights of the round table?
Who was the first head of the Church of England?
Who is often known as ’the Great’?
(10 points)
The monarchy
Look at the sentences below, and rearrange the letters in bold to make the suitable words.
(15 points)
1. Britain has a sotntintiolacu noyharcm, which means that the powers and rights of the King or Queen (the
monarch) are limited by the basic laws and principles of the country.
2. The name of the current monarch is Queen itaelEhzb II, and she has nidgree the country since 1952.
3. Her official London residence is at miucnBaghk ealPca, but she has other residences around the country
that she uses.
4. Her husband is called Prince hilpPli (the kueD of bdhiurEgn) and they have four children.
5. Their eldest child is leCsarh (the iPecnr of lsaWe, and the person who will eventually succeed the
Queen: he is the ehri to the nhrote).
6. Her other children are Prince redAwn (the Duke of York), Prince dadwEr (the Earl of Wessex) and
Princess neAn (known as the Princess Royal).
7. Collectively, they are known as the oRlya mayiFl, and are sometimes referred to as the soHeu of
nWodirs (after their family name, which they changed from Saxe-Coburg during the First World War).
8. The monarch is the Head of State of the United Kingdom, and is also the monarch or head of state of
many of the countries in the British womenmCothal (an organisation of countries that used to be under the
political control of the UK). She is also the head of the uhCrhc of nlEdgna.
9. The monarch's limited powers and rights (see number 1 above) are known as the royal pogtrevraie.
However, her role is one of a egfiredhua (a leader with no real power or influence) and is largely
mociaereln.
10. For example, she meets and greets foreign heads of state. Each year she also opens maenrlaPti and
gives the sueQn'e hpesce, in which she outlines the ielospic of the government for the coming year.
11. This speech does not express her views: it expresses the views of the meriP stinirMe and the nlguri
political party.
12. The monarch must accept any decisions made by the naCiteb and by Parliament.
13. The monarch cannot voice opsrtpu for or popiinosot to the government. However, he or she can savdei,
anwr and agecouner the government, usually at a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister.
14. Following advice from the Prime Minister, the monarch can popinat people to high positions in the
mogternevn, the uhrChc of nndlEag and the mdrae esrocf.
15. The monarchy is still very popular in Britain, although increasing numbers of people want to remove the
current system and replace it with a pulrecbi and an elected deritPnes.
TASK 3 Test your knowledge of places in the UK. Find out the names of the groups (A-H). Then write
the words from the box in the appropriate section of the table below.
(20 points)
Aberdeen Aberystwyth Armagh Belfast Birmingham Bristol Cardiff Clyde Cornwall
Dartmoor Edinburgh Glasgow Inverness Kent The Lake District Liverpool Londonderry
Neagh Ness Newport Northumberland The North York Moors Omagh Oxfordshire
Pembrokeshire Coast Severn Swansea Thames Tyne Ullswater Windermere York
_________A________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
_________B________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
________C_________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
_________D________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
________E________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
________F________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
________G________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
_________H________
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
TASK 4 In 2015 the UK will have the next General Elections. Fill in the gaps in the following text
about the formal conduct of a British election.
(20 points)
After the date for the election has been fixed, nominations for candidates are invited in each 1._______________. In
order to get their names on the 2. _________________, candidates have to deposit £500 with the 3. _______________
(the person responsible for conduct of the election). They get this money back if they get five per cent of the votes or
more. They can also, if they wish, indicate their political affiliation after their names on the 4 _______________.
About three weeks later, the election takes place. On 5. ________________, which is always a Thursday, the 6.
_______________ open at seven in the morning. To be eligible to vote, a person must be at least eighteen years old
and be on the 7. _______________. This is compiled every year for each 8. _______________ separately. Nobody is
obliged to vote. Each voter has to vote at a particular 9._______________. After being ticked off on the 10.
_______________, the voter is given a blank 11. ________________ which he or she takes to a 12.
_______________. There he or she makes a choice by putting an ’X’ next to the name of one candidate and then
drops the marked 13. _______________ into a 14. _______________.
The 15._________________ close at ten in the evening. Then, all the 16. _______________ are taken to a central
place in the constituency, where they are opened and the 17. ________________ begins. When all the votes have been
counted, the 18. ________________ makes a public announcement of the number of votes cast for each candidate and
declares the winner to be the 19. _______________ for the 20. ________________.
TASK 5 Shakespeare was a keen observer of human behaviour, which is illustrated in the rich and
varied language he used to describe it. Complete the the text by writing one word in each numbered
gap.
(15 points)
Many of Shakespeare’s phrases have passed into our everyday language. When you have a sleepless night and
complain that you did not sleep a wink, you can console (1) ____________ that even in your exhausted state you are
using Shakespeare’s words.”I have not slept a wink” is from the play Cymbeline, (2) ___________ Shakespeare wrote
in 1610. Even (3) ___________ it is not a popular play, we are using his line in our (4) ___________ lives four
hundred years later.
When a guest devours absulutely (5) ___________ in your kitchen cupboard, you (6) __________ complain
that you „have been eaten out of house and home”. It is Shakespeare again. „He hath eaten me out of house and home”
comes from Henry V.
Lines from Shakespeare crop (7) _________ in all kinds of places, in (8) __________ oh films and novels.
Shakespeare was writing when it had (9) _________ fashionable for authorsto give up Latin in favour of English (10)
_________ the language of literature. But htere were not enough English words to express all their ideas, (11)
____________ writers began making words up. Shakespeare introduced about (12) _________ new words into
English.These include many that we could hardly imagine (13) __________ without: admirable, educate, generous
and tranquil. He also made up compounds such as lack-lustre and sharp-toothed.
Words were usually made up from Latin, but writers also turned to French. This is (14) __________ we have
so many wordw to describe almost the same thing, and in nearly all of (15) _________ there is a slight difference of
feeling. For example, we have the English word end, the French-derived finish and the Latin-derived conclude.
TASK 6 Read the following quotations from Shakespeare’s plays. Identify each play. There is one
extra word in each quotation. Find them and put them in the correct order to make a well-known
quotation.
(10+2 points)
1. It is not a wise father that knows his own child.
2. All that live must die.
Passing through that nature to eternity.
3. Nature's question above art in that respect.
4. Come what come may be,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
5. Now is to the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York.
6. I must have the liberty
Withal, as large a charter as the wind,
To blow on whom I please.
7. The nature of bad or news infects the teller
8. Hasty marriage is seldom proveth well.
9. All that glisters is not to gold.
10. I will be praise any man that will praise me.
TASK 7
Food in Britain
Find out the names of the following dishes eaten in Britain.
(8points)
1. Cooked potatoes and other vegetables (especially cabbage), which are mixed together
and then fried. A popular way of using up leftover vegetables.
2. A sweet cake for one person, containing dried fruit and spices, traditionally eaten at
Easter.
3. A small pie for one person, with meat, potatoes and other vegetables inside.
4. A simple meal of bread, cheese (or sometimes cold meat), pickles and salad (often
served with an apple).
5. Minced lamb in a thick gravy, covered with mashed potato and baked in an oven.
6. A thick soup made from lamb, potatoes, onions and other root vegetables.
7. A thick sausage made from pig's meat and blood, traditionally sliced and fried, and
eaten for breakfast.
8. Sausages and mashed potato, traditionally served with onion gravy.
TASK 8 Find the odd one out and explain your choice.
1. A) Hamden Park
(20 points)
6. A) canvassing
B) Lord’s
B) declaration
C) The Oval
C) ratings
D) Trent Bridge
D) swingometer
2. A) Blair
7. A) Coronation Street
B) Livingstone
B) Downing Street
C) Major
C) Oxford Street
D) Thatcher
D) Threadneedle Street
3. A) Bobby
8. A) congregation
B) Jock
B) constituency
C) Paddy
C) diocese
D) Taffy
D) parish
4. A) Henry II
9. A) Cambria
B) Richard III
B) Cornwall
C) James IV
C) Cumbria
D) Henry VIII
D) Kent
5. A) the Black Country
10. A) Plaid Cymru
B) the Home Counties
B) Sinn Fein
C) the six counties
C) SNP
D) the West Country
D) UKIP
TASK 9 Identify the following famous British people and write down what they were/are famous for.
(20 points)
1.
6.
7.
2.
3.
8.
4.
5.
TASK 10
9.
.
10.
PROJECT
(20 points)
Choose one of Shakespeare’s plays and make /design a poster reflecting the message of it. The aim of
the poster is to attract as many spectators as possible to the performance. The size of your poster is
A/4.
ANSWER SHEET: BRITISH CIVILIZATION (2014/2015)
Members of the group/class: 1. _______________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________
TASK 1 The name of the monarch
(10 points)
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________________________________________
10. _________________________________________________________________________________
TASK 2 The Monarchy: the words in bold
(15 points)
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________________________________________
10. _________________________________________________________________________________
11. _________________________________________________________________________________
12. _________________________________________________________________________________
13. _________________________________________________________________________________
14. _________________________________________________________________________________
15. _________________________________________________________________________________
TASK 3 Names of places
(20 points)
A __________________
B _________________
C _________________
D _________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
1. _________________
1. _________________
1. _________________
1. _________________
2. _________________
2. _________________
2. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
3. _________________
3. _________________
3. _________________
4. _________________
4. _________________
4. _________________
4. _________________
E __________________
F__________________
G __________________
H _________________
___________________
___________________
____________________
___________________
1. _________________
1. _________________
1. __________________
1. _________________
2. _________________
2. _________________
2. __________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
3. _________________
3. __________________
3. _________________
4. _________________
4. _________________
4. __________________
4. _________________
TASK 4 General Elections
(20 points)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
TASK 5 Shakespeare’s phrases: missing words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
TASK 6 Shakespeare’s quotations: The title of the play
(15 points)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
(10+2 points)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
The extra quotation:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
TASK 7 Food in Britain: The names of the dishes
(8 points)
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
4.
8.
TASK 8 The odd one out and explanation
The odd
one out:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(20 points)
Explanation:
TASK 9 Identifying famous British people
NAME:
(20 points)
FAMOUS FOR:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
TASK 10 Project
(20 points)