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British History

Practice Test 5 — A Long and Illustrious History

Open practice — answers shown

This is a study-mode test: each correct answer is highlighted and an explanation appears beneath every question. For a clean run-through under exam conditions, take one of our timed mock tests instead.

25 questions
British History chapter focus
Question 1 of 25

What was the name given to supporters of King Charles I during the Civil War?

  1. Luddites
  2. Roundheads
  3. Cavaliers  ✓
  4. Levellers
Answer: C — The king's supporters during the Civil War were called Cavaliers. Those who supported the Parliamentary cause were called Roundheads.
Question 2 of 25

Who was the monarch when the Book of Common Prayer was written to be used in the Church of England?

  1. Henry VII
  2. Henry VIII
  3. King Richard III
  4. Edward VI  ✓
Answer: D — Henry VIII was succeeded by his son Edward VI, who was strongly Protestant. During his reign, the Book of Common Prayer was written to be used in the Church of England. A version of this book is still used in some churches today.
Question 3 of 25

Who is the author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

  1. Roald Dahl  ✓
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien
  3. Charles Dickens
  4. Jane Kipling
Answer: A — Roald Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian parents. He served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. His best-known works include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and George's Marvellous Medicine.
Question 4 of 25

'The Restoration' refers to the re-establishment of Catholicism as the official Church in the 15th century

  1. True
  2. False  ✓
Answer: B — 'The Restoration' refers to the re-establishment of the monarchy in 1660, when Charles II returned from exile after being invited back by Parliament
Question 5 of 25

In 1348, a disease, probably a form of plague, came to Britain was known as the

  1. Great Mortality
  2. Black Death  ✓
  3. Great Pestilence
  4. Great Plague
Answer: B
Question 6 of 25

What created The Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707?

  1. The act of Government of Wales
  2. The Act of Union  ✓
  3. The Bill of Rights
  4. The Kingdom Act
Answer: B — The Act of Union, known as the Treaty of Union in Scotland, was agreed in 1707, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Question 7 of 25

Some of the famous lines from William Shakespeare's plays and poems which are still often quoted are:

  1. By all the means you can
  2. A rose by any other name  ✓
  3. Listen to many, speak to a few
  4. All the world's a stage  ✓
Answer: B, D
Question 8 of 25

The Battle of Waterloo was fought against which country?

  1. Netherlands
  2. Germany
  3. France  ✓
  4. Russia
Answer: C — The British army also fought against the French. In 1815, the French Wars ended with the defeat of the Emperor Napoleon by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.
Question 9 of 25

Which one of the following is the most famous play written by Shakespeare?

  1. Under Milk Wood
  2. The Jungle Book
  3. The Canterbury Tales
  4. A Midsummer Night’s Dream  ✓
Answer: D — Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He was a playwright and actor and wrote many poems and plays. His most famous plays include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.
Question 10 of 25

Why was Mary known as 'Bloody Mary'?

  1. She persecuted Protestants  ✓
  2. She fought in numerous battles
  3. She killed her father
  4. She put her sister in prison
Answer: A — Mary was a devout Catholic and persecuted Protestants.
Question 11 of 25

Rugby originated in England in the early 19th century and is very popular in the UK today.

  1. True  ✓
  2. False
Answer: A — Rugby originated in England in the early 19th century and is very popular in the UK today.
Question 12 of 25

Who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo?

  1. Henry VII
  2. Nelson
  3. Louis XIV
  4. The Duke of Wellington  ✓
Answer: D —  In 1815, the French Wars ended with the defeat of the Emperor Napoleon by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.
Question 13 of 25

To be or not to be' is a famous Shakespeare line from which play or poem?

  1. Henry V
  2. Hamlet  ✓
  3. Romeo and Juliet
  4. As you like it
Answer: B — Lines from Shakespeare's plays and poems which are often still quoted include: Once more unto the breach (Henry V); To be or not to be (Hamlet); A rose by any other name (Romeo and Juliet); All the world's a stage (As You Like It); The darling buds of May (Sonnet 18 'Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer's Day).
Question 14 of 25

Which languages were the basis of modern English?

  1. Gaelic and Celtic
  2. Norman French and Celtic
  3. Celtic and Anglo Saxon
  4. Norman French and Anglo Saxon  ✓
Answer: D — After the Norman Conquest, the king and his noblemen had spoken Norman French and the peasants had continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. Gradually these two languages combined to become one English language.
Question 15 of 25

What was the longest war with France called?

  1. Hundred Years War  ✓
  2. Battle of Hastings
  3. Battle of Agincourt
  4. Battle of Bannockburn
Answer: A — English kings also fought a long war with France, called the Hundred Years War (even though it actually lasted 116 years). One of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years War was the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
Question 16 of 25

Before 1215 there were few limits on the power of the king of England.

  1. True  ✓
  2. False
Answer: A — In 1215 King John was forced by his noblemen to agree to the Magna Carta, which limited the powers of the monarchy.
Question 17 of 25

Which form of religion gained strength as a result of the Reformation?

  1. Catholicism
  2. Methodism
  3. Hinduism
  4. Protestantism  ✓
Answer: D — While the Reformation was happening across Europe, Protestant ideas gradually gained strength in England, Wales and Scotland during the 16th century.
Question 18 of 25

During the 19th century, new ideas about politics, philosophy and science were developed. This is often called ‘the Enlightenment’

  1. True  ✓
  2. False
Answer: A — During the 18th century, new ideas about politics, philosophy and science were developed. This is often called ‘the Enlightenment’
Question 19 of 25

Which TWO records tell us about England during the time of William I?

  1. Domesday Book  ✓
  2. Diary of Samuel Pepys
  3. Magna Carta
  4. Bayeux Tapestry  ✓
Answer: A, D — The Domesday Book is a record of towns and villages in England. The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the Norman Conquest.
Question 20 of 25

Which invention led to the development of Britain during the Industrial Revolution?

  1. Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  2. Steam power  ✓
  3. Radar
  4. Hovercraft
Answer: B
Question 21 of 25

What were the working conditions like during the Industrial Revolution?

  1. Very Poor  ✓
  2. Best in the World
  3. Acceptable
  4. Average
Answer: A — Working conditions during the Industrial Revolution were very poor. There were no laws to protect employees, who were often forced to work long hours in dangerous situations. Children also worked and were treated in the same way as adults.
Question 22 of 25

The Romans remained in Britain for 200 years and they built roads and public buildings, created a structure of law, and introduced new plants and animals

  1. Yes, this is true
  2. No, it's 400 years  ✓
Answer: B
Question 23 of 25

What was Isaac Newton known for?

  1. The discovery of insulin
  2. The discovery of gravity  ✓
  3. The discovery of penicillin
  4. The discovery of the steam power
Answer: B
Question 24 of 25

Who supported King Charles I during the Civil War?

  1. Roundheads
  2. Suffragettes
  3. Quakers
  4. Cavaliers  ✓
Answer: D
Question 25 of 25

Why is Sir Edwin Lutyens famous?

  1. He won a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
  2. He was the first UK Prime Minister.
  3. He invented the World Wide Web.
  4. He was a 20th-century architect.  ✓
Answer: D — Sir Edwin Lutyens was a famous 20th-century architect who designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

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