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A Modern, Thriving Society — explainers

Every name, date and concept from Modern Society in the official handbook, written as a short, focused page with related practice questions.

All chapters · 202 Values & Principles · 25 What is the UK · 29 British History · 66 Modern Society · 45 Government & Law · 37
Modern Society

Christmas and Easter in the UK

The two main Christian festivals — when they fall, how they are celebrated and what the test asks.

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Modern Society

Bonfire Night (5 November)

Why Britain marks the failure of the Gunpowder Plot every year with bonfires and fireworks.

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Modern Society

Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal

How the UK remembers its war dead each November and the symbolism of the red poppy.

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Modern Society

UK Bank Holidays

The eight UK bank holidays in England and Wales — and the regional differences.

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Modern Society

Football in Britain

The world's most popular sport, the FA Cup, the Premier League and Britain's contribution to it.

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Modern Society

Cricket in Britain

The Ashes, Lord's and a quintessentially British summer sport.

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Modern Society

Rugby Football in Britain

The Six Nations, the home nations and the rivalry between rugby union and rugby league.

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Modern Society

Tennis and Wimbledon

The world's oldest tennis tournament and the famous strawberries-and-cream British summer.

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Modern Society

Golf and St Andrews

A Scottish invention, the British Open, and the home of the game on the east coast of Fife.

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Modern Society

Horse Racing in the UK

Royal Ascot, the Grand National and a sport of kings.

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Modern Society

The London 2012 Olympics

How London became the first city to host the Summer Olympics three times.

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Modern Society

British Cycling Success

Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and the rise of British cycling to the top of the world.

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Modern Society

Pubs and Licensing in the UK

The "public house", licensing laws, and the central role of the pub in British social life.

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Modern Society

Classical Music in Britain

Elgar, Britten, Vaughan Williams and the Proms — Britain's contribution to classical music.

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Modern Society

British Pop and Rock Music

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and the global influence of British pop.

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Modern Society

Theatre and the West End

London's theatreland, the National Theatre, the RSC and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals.

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Modern Society

The British Film Industry

James Bond, Harry Potter, Hammer horror and the directors who shaped world cinema.

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Modern Society

British Architecture

From medieval cathedrals to the Shard — a tour through 800 years of British buildings.

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Modern Society

British Visual Arts

Constable, Turner, Bacon, Hockney and the Tate galleries that house their work.

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Modern Society

Modern British Literature

Booker Prize winners, JK Rowling and the writers who define modern Britain.

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Modern Society

Eating and Drinking in Britain

Roast dinners, fish and chips, curry, and the diversity of modern British food.

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Modern Society

Newspapers in the UK

Broadsheets, tabloids, free-to-read sites and a famously partisan British press.

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Modern Society

The BBC and Public Broadcasting

How the licence fee funds the BBC and what its independence from government means.

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Modern Society

Pets and Animals in British Life

A nation of dog-walkers and cat-lovers, and the laws that protect animals.

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Modern Society

Other Historic British Sports Figures

Sir Ian Botham, Sir Tom Finney, Dame Mary Peters and other names that turn up in the test.

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Modern Society

The National Anthem and Other Flags

God Save the King, the Welsh dragon and the regional flags flown across the UK.

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Modern Society

The National Trust

The charity that looks after Britain's historic houses, gardens and coastline.

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Modern Society

Public Libraries

Free books, free internet and the network of local libraries that any UK resident can join.

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Modern Society

Walking and the Right to Roam

National trails, the Coast to Coast and the legal right to walk on open countryside.

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Modern Society

Britain's Love of Gardening

The Chelsea Flower Show, the RHS and the millions of British people who tend a garden.

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Modern Society

The British Pantomime Tradition

A uniquely British Christmas theatre tradition with cross-dressing, audience participation and famous fairy stories.

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Modern Society

Morris Dancing and Folk Traditions

Bells, sticks and handkerchiefs — England's best-known folk dance tradition.

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Modern Society

Money in Everyday British Life

Bank accounts, the cashless economy, contactless payments and the role of the Bank of England.

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Modern Society

Britain's Free Museums and Galleries

The British Museum, the National Gallery, the V&A — most national museums are free to visit.

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Modern Society

Shops and Shopping in the UK

Supermarkets, high streets, online retail and the shape of modern British shopping.

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Modern Society

Volunteering and Charities

Britain's vast charity sector, gift aid and the volunteers who keep so much of it running.

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Modern Society

How People Travel in the UK

Trains, buses, the Tube, the motorway network and the country's changing patterns of travel.

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Modern Society

Health and Wellbeing in the UK

How to register with a GP, how prescriptions work and how to get help in an emergency.

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Modern Society

State Schools in the UK

How free education works from age 5 to 18 — primary, secondary, GCSEs and A-Levels.

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Modern Society

Universities in Britain

Oxford, Cambridge, the Russell Group and 130 universities open to UK and international students.

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Modern Society

English, Dialects and Accents

Cockney, Geordie, Scouse and the rich variety of regional accents across the UK.

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Modern Society

Mothering Sunday and Father's Day

When the UK celebrates parents and the difference between Mother's Day in Britain and in America.

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Modern Society

St Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day and Halloween

Three secular celebrations widely marked across the UK, even though none is a public holiday.

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Modern Society

Birthdays, Anniversaries and Royal Birthdays

How the British mark personal milestones and the curious tradition of two royal birthdays.

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Modern Society

Coronations and Major Royal Events

How a new monarch is crowned at Westminster Abbey and the jubilees that mark long reigns.

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