Britain
I., This year Britain is celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens.
Read the following text and decide which of the words or phrases (a–l) is missing in items 1-10. Mark your answers on the answer sheet. (there are 2 extra words)
Charles Dickens at 200
Charles Dickens was an English author, born on 7 February 1812. He is widely regarded as the greatest author of the 1., period, but he was also a philanthropist and social commentator, and through his writing,2., attention to the gap between the rich and the poor in Victorian society. Dickens is the author of over a dozen major novels, as well as many short stories and some plays. Most of his novels were serialized in weekly journals or magazines, 3., a that he himself helped to popularize, and he would often change the storyline in response to popular opinion as each chapter was published.
This year, 2012, 4., 200 years since Charles Dickens’ birth, and many celebrations have taken place, and continue to take place to 5., the occasion in Britain.
Today, titles such as Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are staples on any secondary school reading list, and Dickens is still high on the list of top 100-selling authors of the century in terms of
volume. In the last century, over 180 films have been made of his works, 6., A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. How is it that, 200 years after his birth, the 7., that Dickens wrote remains so popular? What is it that enables an author to transcend 8., in this way?
Perhaps it is to do with the characters in the novels and the things they can teach us about ourselves as individuals. The stories do not rely on situations or a particular era, but on the interpretation of human nature and the intrigue woven into the 9., . By often portraying the best and worst sides of human nature, the reader becomes more 10., . a., self-aware e., Victorian i., featuring b.,remember f., generations j., readers c.,marks g., format k., commemorate d.,drew h., plot l., material

II., History and politics
Identify the people in the pictures and match them with the sentences listed below.
1., 2.,
3., 4.,
5., 6.,
7., 8., a., established the Church of England b., represented the morals of the era c., the Iron Lady
III., Geography d., took the title Lord Protector e., a politician form the Labour Party f., the ’virgin Queen’ g., the Prime Minister during World War II. h.,a contemporary Conservative politician

A., Put the following in order from north to south on the answer sheet.
1 Hadrian’s Wall 2 Land’s End 3 The Pennines 4 The Athens of the north 5 The Black Country 6 The highlands
B.,
London
Match 1 –8 with a–h. (answer sheet)
1 a popular London tourist attraction 2 the structure used to protect London from flooding
3 the area where the Houses of Parliament are located 4 the financial centre of London
5 the main area for entertainment and shopping
7 the area into which modern London is expanding
6 the traditional home of Cockneys
8 the south-east of England
IV., Literature
Choose and put the mixed authors, titles and characters into the correct line on your answer sheet. (8p)
Authors:
William Golding, Jane Austen, Emily Brontë, William Makepeace Thackerey, Daniel Dafoe,
George Orwell, G. B. Shaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Titles:
Robinson Crusoe, Pride and Prejudice, Vanity Fair,Sherlock Holmes, Lord of the Flies, Animal
Farm, Wuthering Heights, Pygmalion,
Characters:
Heathcliff, Professor Higgins, Friday,Dr. Watson, Ralph, Mr. Darcy, Old Major, Ralph,
V., Sport Multiple choice. Mark your answer on the answer sheet.

VI., British cuisine
What is each description about? Write your guesses on the answer sheet.
1., a dish made by boiling cuts (rolled, crushed or steel cut) or other cereal meals with water, milk or both.
It’s usually served hot in a bowl or dish. It’s widely eaten as a breakfast dish.
2., a small British quick bread, traditionally hailing from Scotland. They’re usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal with baking powder. It’s a basic component of the cream tea.
3., is made from batter and usually served with roast meat and gravy. It’s cooked by pouring a batter made from milk ( or water), flour and eggs into oiled then preheated baking pans.
4., is a sauce, made from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. It’s commonly served with roasts, meatloaf, rice and mashed potatoes.
5., the most popular take-away food, it became widespread among the working-class people. Salt and vinegar is traditionally sprinkled over it when it’s served.
VII., Parliament

Britain has a 2-chamber Parliament: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Decide which item goes under which heading and write the correct letter there. the House of Lords The Hosue of Commons a., the Speaker e., has only limited influence b., the Upper House c., frontbenchers d., life peers f., the Whips g., the British monarch isn’t allowed to enter h., the Archbishop of Canterbury
VIII., The Monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen celebrated 60 years as monarch in 2012. Answer the following questions concerning her life.
1., When and where did her coronation took place? (1p)
2., Which country was she staying in when she received the news of her father’s death? (0.5p)
3., Who is her husband? What title does he have? (1p)
4., When is her actual and her official birthday? What is the name of the ceremony held on that day?(1.5p)
5., What type of pet has she got? (0.5p)
6., Which castle is her favourite residence for summer holiday? (0.5p)
7., How many children does she have? What are their titles? (4p)
8., What is the name of the reigning dynasty today? What was their original name? (1p)
IX., Project
Choose a famous sight/landmark/tourist attraction etc. in Britain but not in London. Prepare a leaflet about it, size: A/4.
On your leaflet include information about it. The basic aim of the leaflet: to attract as many tourists as possible.

……………………..
……………………..
……………………..
I., Charles Dickens (10p)
1., …………………………
2., …………………………
3., …………………………
4., …………………………
5., …………………………
II., History and Politics (20p)
6.,…………………………..
7.,…………………………..
8., ………………………….
9., ……………………………
10.,……………………………
Names Letters
1., ………………………………………………………..
2., ………………………………………………………..
3., ………………………………………………………..
4., ……………………………………………………….
5.,………………………………………………………..
6., ………………………………………………………..
7., ………………………………………………………..
8., …………………………………………………………
9., …………………………………………………………
10.,………………………………………………………..

III., Geography (14p)
A: the correct order of numbers : ………………………………………
B: Pairs (London)
1…….
2…….
3…….
4…….
5-
6-
7-
8-
……
……
……
……
IV., Literature (8p - 1 for each correct line)
Author
5.,
6.,
7.,
8.,
1.,
2.,
3.,
4.,
V., Sports(14p)
1………
2………
3……….
4……….
5-
6……...
7……...
8-
……..
………
Title
9…….
10…….
11……..
12……..
Character
13……..
14……..

VI., British cuisine(5p)
Names:
1: ……………………..
2:……………………..
3:……………………….
4:……………………….
5:………………………..
VII., Parliament (8p)
Write the letters to the correct places: the House of Lords: ………………………. the House of Commons: ………………………
VIII., The monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II. (10p)
1., ………………………………………….
2.,……………………………………………
3., …………………………………………..
4.,……………………………………………
5., …………………………………………..
6.,…………………………………………….
7.,…………………………………………….
8., …………………………………………….
IX., Project (20p)