Chapter 4

A modern, thriving society

Everyday life, religion, festivals, sport, arts, the media, and famous people and inventions.

80 practice questions

Religion and festivals

1The Church of England is the established church in England; the monarch is its Supreme Governor. The Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) is the national church in Scotland. There is no established church in Wales or Northern Ireland.
2Christianity has been the largest religious group in census figures used in the handbook. Islam is the next largest. Many people report no religion.
3Remembrance Day is 11 November. People wear a red poppy. Remembrance Sunday is the nearest Sunday.
4Burns Night is 25 January. Bonfire Night is 5 November. Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year. The National Eisteddfod is a Welsh festival of poetry and music.
5Christmas Day is 25 December; Boxing Day is 26 December. Trooping the Colour marks the monarch’s official birthday.

1Cricket, football, rugby, tennis and golf all have strong roots in Britain. Golf developed in Scotland; the home of golf is St Andrews.
2Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament and is played on grass.
3England won the FIFA World Cup in 1966 at Wembley. The Ashes is a cricket series against Australia.
4Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile in 1954. The Grand National is run at Aintree.

1William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. Other writers include Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Burns and Roald Dahl.
2Christopher Wren designed the rebuilt St Paul’s Cathedral after the Great Fire of 1666.
3The BBC is funded by the television licence fee and is independent of government. John Reith was its first Director-General.
4Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. John Logie Baird helped pioneer television. Alan Turing’s work was foundational for computing.
5Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the Great Western Railway, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain.