Life In The United Kingdom Trivia Quiz

Answer: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state consisting of four countries. These four countries are: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although the cultures of these four countries have certain common features, yet they have their own distinct features and elements as well.

In fact, the full name of the UK is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Ireland is a separate country, and is not part of the United Kingdom. It is a republic, while the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy.

Answer: William Shakespeare

British Literature is popular throughout the world and is taught in all schools, colleges and universities. British literature has produced a number of famous writers in all genres.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is perhaps the most famous of all British writers. His plays, such as "Romeo and Juliet", "Othello", "Hamlet", "A Comedy of Errors", "Antony and Cleopatra", are performed all around the world, as well as studied in schools, colleges and universities.

Other famous British authors, in a range of genres, include poets such as John Milton, Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, and Philip Sidney; novelists such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, the Bronte sisters (Charlotte, Emily and Anne); and playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe, John Webster and (more recently) Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard. Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle are well-known authors of detective fiction, while Barbara Cartland was a famous (and prolific) writer of popular romance novels.

Answer: English

The UK doesn't have a legally constituted "official language", but English is certainly the language used in most official matters. It is a West Germanic language, and is also an official language in many countries that were previously ruled by the United Kingdom.

While it is the most commonly spoken language in the UK, there are a number of regional languages which are also spoken by minority populations. For example, Welsh is an "official language" in Wales, along with English. Similarly in Scotland, Scottish Gaelic, which is a Goidelic language, was given official recognition by the Scottish Parliament in 2005.

Not many people speak it, though.

Answer: St.Paul's Cathedral

The British have produced a number of famous historical monuments and buildings in various architectural styles such as Roman, Gothic, Baroque, 21st century contemporary.

St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral, and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the English Baroque style of architecture. It is located in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It is the largest church in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. Its construction began in 1675 and was completed in the early years of the 18th century. Tourists have to pay a fee to visit the Cathedral, except when attending a church service there.

Answer: Deborah Kerr

Deborah Kerr was one of the most famous British actresses of the classic era in British cinema. She acted not only in the United Kingdom, but also in the United States of America, where she acted in many Hollywood films, such as "An Affair To Remember", which was released in 1957. She worked with Cary Grant in the film.

British cinema has produced many famous film stars, directors and films. For example, Alfred Hitchcock was a famous British film director who became known as the "Master of Suspense". Some of his most famous films are "Blackmail" (1929), "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934), "Rebecca" (1940), which was his first Hollywood film as a director, and "North By Northwest" (1959).

Famous British film stars include actors such as Rex Harrison, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Stanley Holloway; and actresses such as Greer Garson, Audrey Hepburn, Julie Andrews, Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Winslet and Keira Knightley.

Answer: Paul McCartney

The United Kingdom has developed and produced music in many genres, and been the home to many famous singers and composers, both classical and popular.

Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 in Liverpool, England. His full name is James Paul McCartney. He began his career as a singer in the late 1950's as a singer in a band run by his friend John Lennon, known as "The Quarrymen". McCartney joined the band as rhythm guitarist, and he and Lennon developed a good professional relationship. "The Quarrymen", of course, metamorphosed into the Beatles in the 1960s, its final line-up completed by George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and became one of the most famous and influential bands in the world. Although it broke up in 1970, its songs remain popular. As well as continuing to have a successful musical career, McCartney also established the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) in Liverpool, which provides training to students in various fields of performing arts.

Answer: True

The United Kingdom has produced some of the world's most influential scientists and inventors. These include Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered the law of gravity among other scientific discoveries. Alexander Fleming discovered the world's first antibiotic (penicillin) and Edward Jenner invented the world's first vaccine, to prevent smallpox. Rowland Hill created the modern postal service and invented the postage stamp. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, while John Logie Baird is credited with inventing the television. Charles Babbage devised one of the first "computers", and Frank Whittle invented the jet engine.

In addition, the United Kingdom was the first country to experience the Industrial Revolution which transformed the country from an agricultural society to the first truly industrialised country. This was made possible because of inventions and discoveries such as the steam engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen and improved by James Watt. Richard Arkwright created the spinning frame which was later renamed as the water frame, and became famous as the "father of the modern industrial factory system", while Josiah Wedgwood introduced the industrialisation of the manufacture of china pottery.

Answer: A music festival

"The Proms" is the popular name for the festival of mainly classical music that is held every year in London between July and September, managed and promoted by another famous institution, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The festival consists of classical music concerts and other musical events, the majority of which take place in the Royal Albert Hall, performed by musicians and orchestras from the UK and all round the world. Chamber music concerts take place mainly in the Cadogan Hall nearby. The famous "Last Night of the Proms" is broadcast all around the world, with its panoply of flags and audience participation.

The term "Prom" is the abbreviated form of the term "Promenade Concert", originally indicating an informal concert at which the audience were free to walk around or "promenade". The first of what became today's "Proms" series was inaugurated by impresario Robert Newman in 1895 at the Queen's Hall in London. They continued there until the venue was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War, after which they moved to the Royal Albert Hall.

Newman was keen to build an audience for serious classical music in a relaxed atmosphere. He appointed Henry Wood as the conductor of the promenade concerts, and under his inspiring and dedicated leadership they developed into the major music festival that they are today, conducting them for nearly 50 years. After his death, management of the series was taken over by the BBC, although their official name remains "The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC". Even today, thousands of standing places are made available at much reduced prices, enabling people to hear some of the greatest orchestras of the world for not much more than a glass of beer in a London pub!

Answer: Fish and Chips

Fish and Chips is a well known dish of popular British cuisine, consisting of fried battered fish and hot potato chips, freshly made and usually purchased in take-away form for immediate consumption. Proper British chips are much thicker then the "french fries" associated with American fast food.
The chips are usually cooked in vegetable oil, though connoisseurs insist that beef dripping produces the best flavour (and a distinctive aroma enabling experts to track a "proper chippie" down by scent alone).

Answer: Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a secular, national holiday that is celebrated every year on December 26, the day after Christmas. The term "Boxing Day" originated in the United Kingdom, and was originally the first weekday after Christmas Day, observed as a holiday on which servants and other working people of various kinds used to receive a "Christmas box" - a present or gratuity given at Christmas. In this way, the festival of "Boxing Day" originated in the United Kingdom, but it is also celebrated in some other countries which were previously part of the British Empire, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the "Boxing Day Sale" has become a traditional part of the Christmas season. Shops sell their goods at reduced rates, and many shops open early and long queues form outside shops, often well before the shops have actually opened. For those not so keen on shopping, both the top and lower ranking football leagues and Rugby Union hold a full programme of football and rugby matches.