A Modern, Thriving Society: practice questions

1. How long is the Proms season of orchestral classical music, and who has organised it since 1927?

• A six-week season, organised by the Royal Philharmonic Society
• An eight-week season, organised by the BBC
• A ten-week season, organised by the Arts Council of England
• A four-week season, organised by the Royal Opera House

The Proms is an eight-week summer season of orchestral classical music that takes place at various venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London. It has been organised by the BBC since 1927.

2. Which of Sir Edward Elgar's compositions is usually played at the Last Night of the Proms?

• The Planets Suite
• Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 (Land of Hope and Glory)
• Water Music
• Messiah

Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934) was born in Worcester, England. His best-known work is the Pomp and Circumstance Marches. March No 1, better known as 'Land of Hope and Glory', is usually played at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

3. Who wrote The Mousetrap, the murder-mystery play that has been running in London's West End since 1952?

• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Dame Agatha Christie
• Harold Pinter
• Oscar Wilde

The Mousetrap is a murder-mystery play by Dame Agatha Christie. It has been running in the West End since 1952 and has had the longest initial run of any show in history.

4. Who designed the new St Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London destroyed the old one?

• Inigo Jones
• Robert Adam
• Sir Christopher Wren
• Sir Edwin Lutyens

In the 17th century, Sir Christopher Wren helped develop a British version of the ornate styles popular in Europe, designing the new St Paul's Cathedral after it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

5. For whom is the Man Booker Prize for Fiction awarded each year?

• Any British or Irish citizen regardless of country of residence
• Authors from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe
• Only authors from English-speaking countries worldwide
• British citizens who have not previously won a major literary award

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded annually for the best novel. Under the handbook, eligibility was for authors from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe; it has been awarded since 1968. Note: since 2014 the prize (renamed 'The Booker Prize') has been open to any novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland, regardless of the author's nationality — the official handbook (3rd edition) predates this change, so on the real test answer according to the handbook.

6. The Turner Prize was established in 1984. At which gallery are the shortlisted works shown each year?

• The National Gallery in London
• Tate Britain
• Tate Modern
• The Victoria and Albert Museum

The Turner Prize was established in 1984 and celebrates contemporary art. Four works are shortlisted every year and shown at Tate Britain before the winner is announced. It is named after the landscape painter Joseph Turner.

7. On which date is Christmas Day celebrated in the UK?

• 24 December
• 25 December
• 26 December
• 6 January

Christmas Day, 25 December, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a public holiday in the UK. Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is also a public holiday.

8. Diwali is often called the Festival of Lights. By which religious communities is it celebrated?

• Muslims and Buddhists
• Hindus and Sikhs
• Hindus and Muslims
• Sikhs and Jains

Diwali normally falls in October or November and lasts for five days. It is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs. It celebrates the victory of good over evil and the gaining of knowledge. There is a famous celebration of Diwali in Leicester.