Kennis van land en Volk answers to questions 1-47 1.

Parliament consists of: - the House of Commons - the House of Lords - the Sovereign 2. The House of Commons (comparable to de tweede kamer) The members of the House of Commons are elected democratically; there are about 640 elected members, the so-called Members of Parliament (MP). Each MP represents a constituency (=een kiesdistrict) The House of Lords (more or less comparable to de eerste kamer) The members of the House of Lords are NOT elected but are either appointed or have the right to have a seat in the House of Lords. There are 3 groups represented in the House of Lords: 1. the clergy (= de geestelijkheid) Archbishops and 24 Bishops of the Church of England 2. the Law Lords; this is the judiciary (= de rechtelijke macht) about 20 senior judges 3. the aristocracy the Hereditary Peers and the Life Peers (see question 3) 3. An Hereditary Peer = the holder of an aristocratic title who has the right to a seat in the House of Lords and this right is inherited by the eldest son A Life Peer = the Queen has awarded him or her a peerage as a reward for service to the country (eg Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCarthy) so they have the right to a seat in the House of Lords. However, their children do NOT inherit this title. 4. The Sovereign is the queen or king of Great Britain. At the moment Queen Elisabeth II is the Sovereign The Prince of Wales is the eldest son of the monarch and will be the next sovereign. At the moment Prince Charles is the Prince of Wales. After his wedding to Catherine Middleton Prince William became the Duke of Cambridge and Kate is now Duchess of Cambridge. 5. An MP is a Member of Parliament who represents a constituency (=kiesdistrict) in the House of Commons The one who gains most votes within a constituency becomes an MP. 6. The official residence of the Prime Minister is No. 10 Downing Street At the moment this is David Cameron, he is a Conservative. 7. The Shadow Cabinet is formed by MPs of the opposition. They shadow the MPs of the party in government. They check whether MPs do their job properly.
Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to pass criticism on the current government and its respective legislation, as well as offering alternative policies.

8. Backbenchers are MPs who do not hold cabinet posts or other important posts. They sit in the back benches in the House of Commons. (the frontbenchers sit in front and are much more important) 9. The Dutch equivalent of Whitehall is Het Binnehof in The Hague 10. The Labour Party is a socialist party, rather leftwing, comparable to the PVDA. Current party leader is Ed Milliband. Former Labour Prime Ministers are Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. 11. The Tories is a conservative party, rather rightwing, comparable to the CDA. The current Prime Minister is conservative David Cameron. The UK now has its first Conservative- Lib Democratic coalition government. 12. The Liberal Democrats is a liberal party comparable to the VVD and D66. Party leader is Nick Clegg (who is also Deputy Prime Minister) who gained a lot of votes in the 2010 elections. Fun fact: his mother is Dutch and he speaks it quite fluenly himself. 13. With the devolution of Scotland and Wales is meant a federal form of government in which Scotland and Wales have their own parliaments which can decide on many political matters (except for: defence, foreign affairs, overall economic policy, social security and taxation). In short, both Wales and Scotland are to some extent independent. In 1999 Scotland elected its own Parliament and Wales its own Assembly. 14. The Home Office = het Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken The Home Secretary = de Minister van Binnenlandse Zaken (now Theresa May) Foreign Affairs = Buitenlandse Zaken The Chancellor of the Exchequer = de Minister van Financin (now George Osborn) 15. The early occupants were the Celts from ca 600 B.C 16 The Roman Occupation was from ca 55 B.C. 400 A.D. 17. From ca 400 to 700 A.D. there were invasions by Germanic tribes: Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians 18. The Vikings invaded Britain between ca. 700-900. 19. 1066 is a key date, because in this year the Battle of Hastings was fought, in which William the Conqueror beat Harald Godwinson. Thus William conquered England. This was really important because now England had much more contact with the mainland of Europe. This really changed the culture and language of England, because Norman French influences became very strong, being the language and the culture of the ruling class. 20 . Magna Carta literally means Great Paper, was written in 1215, and is a document that had a lot of influence on the process that led to parliamentary democracy because

it limits the power of the king. Magna Carta is considered to be one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy. 21. Henry VIII was king of England in the 16th century (1509 -1547) He is famous for having been married six times (and having some of his wives killed), and breaking with the Roman Catholic Church (the English church separated from the Roman Catholic Church) , because he was not allowed to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon He is the founder of the Anglican Church (or: Church of England) 22. Queen Elisabeth I reigned from 1558 till 1602. She was also known as the Virgin Queen (she never married) and she was very popular for she (or rather her army) destroyed the Spanish fleet (the Armada). Elisabeth was fond of theatre and commissioned some plays of William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare lived from 1564 till 1616. This period is called the Elisabethan period or the Renaissance 23. From 1642 till 1660 there was a Civil war going on. Oliver Cromwell was called Lord Protector of the English Republic (or the Commonwealth); the only period in history that Britain was not a monarchy. 24. In 1688 (the Glorious Revolution) Willem III of Holland (stadhouder Willem III) was invited to become monarch together with his wife Mary who was King James IIs daughter. They were asked because Great Britain did not want a Catholic monarch on the throne. Up to this very day the Sovereign of Great Britain is not allowed to be a Catholic. The protestants in Northern Ireland still hold Oranje marsen every year in which they parade through Catholic neighbourhoods wearing Orange sashes. This causes a lot of violence and disturbance still and is a reference to the Dutch Willem (van Oranje). 25. In 1783 Britain loses its American colonies after the American War of Independence. 26. Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 till 1901. This period is called the Victorian Age. It was a prosperous time for Britain due to the Industrialisation and expansion. It was a period in which The sun never set on the British Empire because of the fact that there were so many colonies, making it an enormous empire stretching all over the world. 27. In 1921 Ireland becomes independent (it gets Home Rule) It becomes the Republic of Ireland (or: of Eire). Northern Ireland (Ulster) remains part of the United Kingdom. 28. Margaret Thatcher (also known as The Iron Lady) was Britains first woman Prime Minister (from 1979 1991). She was a Conservative PM and not very popular because she closed down a lot of mines, which caused huge unemployment in the north of England. 29. At the moment the Conservative Party is in government.The Prime Minister is David Cameron. He is supported by David Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Debocrats. The Labour party is now (since 2010) in the opposition. The leader of the Labour Party is Ed Milliband

30. England is only part of Britain (not including Scotland, Wales and Ulster). Great Britain includes England Scotland and Wales The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales and Ulster The British Isles include Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, The Channel Islands, the Orkneys and the Shetlands 31. The Troubles in Northern Ireland go back to the 16th and 17th centuries when English Protestants were sent to Ireland as settlers. At the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 William of Orange (stadhouder willem III, who was then King of England) defeated the rebellious Catholic Irish people. Every July the Protestant Loyalists still organise marches to celebrate this victory, wearing orange sashes. These marches often lead through Catholic neighbourhoods which again and again cause trouble and often violence. The Troubles can be summed up as the fight between the Irish Catholics and the English Protestants in Northern Ireland 32. The IRA (= the Irish Republican Army) is Catholic. Its political arm is called Sinn Fein (Irish for "ourselves) and it is led by Gerry Adams. The IRA was a was an Irish Republican revolutionary military organisation that wanted Northern Ireland to leave the UK and become an Irish Republic together with Ireland. They are not active anymore. Sinn Fein is the biggest party in Northern Irelands assembly. 33. The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of 51 states; all the members were at one time part of the British Empire (so former colonies). Most of these colonies have become independent states (e.g. Cyprus, Malta, Kenya). Some others still recognise the British Monarch as Head of State (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and they are called Commonwealth realms. 34. In 1947 British India (the British Queen was also Empress of India) was split up into a Hindu state: India and a Muslim state Pakistan. East- Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh in 1971 35. When Britain became a member of the European Community (1973) the special trade agreements between the Commonwealth countries were gradually discontinued (but they still profited from the membership) 36. The original inhabitants of Australia were the Aboriginals. 37. In the 18th and 19th centuries many British prisoners were sent to Austrialia to work the land (hard labour). New South Wales was at first a penal colony. Australians still have a nickname for the British that refers to this: Poms (prisoners of her Majesty). Australians call themselves Ossies. 38. The main products of Australia are: minerals, wool, dairy products and meat. 39. The original inhabitants of New Zealand are the Maori. They gave name to the official name of New Zealand which is Aotearoa. White New Zealanders are still called Pakeha which is a Maori word. The Maori language is spoken to some extent by about a quarter of all Mori and many New Zealanders regularly use Mori words and

expressions in normal speech. Mori are active in all spheres of New Zealand culture and society, with distinct representation in areas such as media, politics and sport. The Mori face significant economic and social obstacles, with lower life expectancies and incomes compared with other New Zealand ethnic groups, in addition to higher levels of crime, health problems and educational under-achievement. 40. The main export products are fruit, dairy products and lamb. The nickname used for New Zealanders is Kiwis. And they have one of the best Rugby teams in the world: The New Zealand All Blacks. They always start their games with a haka atraditional Maori war dance. The Haka has to be lead by a Maori player. 41. Gibraltar is a so-called independent territory. The inhabitants have chosen to remain British. Hongkong was a British crown colony which was leased from China for 99 years. When the lease expired in 1997 Hong Kong was returned to China. 42. The South of England has always been richer and more influential, it is also more crowded, more expensive to live in and has a more American-influenced lifestyle. The North of England was the main centre of industry in the 19th century (Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham). It is more rural, poorer and more old-fashioned. 45. The State religion is Church of England or Anglican Church. It is a Protestant church but with many Roman Catholic elements (e.g. there are priests and bishops). 46. Scotland has it own established church: the Church of Scotland or Presbyterian Church which is based on the Calvinist doctrine. There are no priests but ministers (=dominees). 47. Bank Holidays are some Mondays when banks and businesses are closed and most people have a day off such as May Day Bank Holiday (1st Monday in May).
48. What does the U.S. Congress consist of? The United States Congress is the legislature of the United States federal government. It consists of 2 houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives has 435 voting members , each representing a congressional district and serving a two-year term. Each state has two Senators, regardless of population. There are 100 senators, serving six-year terms. Every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate is elected. Both Senators and Representatives are chosen through direct election. The leader of the Senate is Harry Reid, and the speaker of the House is Nancy Pelosi they are both Democratic. Congress meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C 49. How is the American President elected? How long does he remain in office? The president and vice-president of the Unites States are elected on the same ticket by the U.S. Electoral College, whose members are elected directly from each state. Voters are required to vote on a ballot where they select the candidate of their choice. The presidential ballot is actually voting for the electors of a candidate, meaning that the

voter is not actually voting for the candidate, but endorsing members of the Electoral College who will, in turn, directly elect the president. The elections take place every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The elections are run by local boards who ensure the fair and impartial nature of the election and prevent tampering of the results. The president had a term of four years, starting on inauguration day, which is the 20th of January of the year after the election. 50. What are the two leading political parties in the U.S.? Which one does G.W. Bush belong to? In the United States there are two major political parties. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. G.W. Bush belongs to the Republican Party. 51. When roughly did America become independent? The American Revolutionary War (17751783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the thirteen "United Colonies" which formed an army, and declared their independence as a new nation, the United States of America, in 1776 (Declaration of Independence) Great Britain lost its colonies in 1783 52. In what sense were the Constitution and the Bill of Rights important? The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. The Constitution has a central place in American law and political culture. The United States Bill of Rights were the ten amendments, stating the fundamental rights of any American, they were added to the Constitution in 1791.

53. The American Civil War: 1861 -1865 Between the South (the Confederates States) and the North (the Union States). 54. The Union States were victorious, one of the results was that slavery was abolished. In 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. 55. The Indians are the native inhabitants of America. They were driven off their lands by the white settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. For a long time they were seen as second-rate citizens. More than half of the 1.5 million Indians today live on reservations. 56. The Prohibition of alcohol and gambling (= drooglegging) It started in 1920 and ended in 1933 57. The Depression was the economic crisis in the 1930-ies which followed the Wall Street Crash in 1929 58. Martin Luther King was the main leader of the Civil Rights Movement which organised protest marches and campaigns against racial segregation. He was assassinated in 1968. 59. In 1963 Presiden J.F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas

60. In 1965 all blacks were granted the right to vote in the Voting Rights Act. 61. The US intervention in Vietnam (1964-1973) gave rise to many protest all over the world and is now considered a black page in American history. Sometimes the war in Iraq is compared to the war in Vietnam. 62. In 1973 the Watergate scandal lead to President Nixons resignation in 1974. 63. In 1991 the USA lead a UN attack on Iraq, which had invaded Kuwait in 1990. This was the so-called Gulf War. 64. On September 11, 2001 there were terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. President Bush declared war on terrorism. Us troops were sent to Afghanistan. 65. Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October. Children dress as witches, ghosts etc. go round the doors with pumpkin lanterns, singing trick or treat. 66. The US society is aften compared to a Melting Potbecause of the mixture and assimilation of many different nationalities and ethnic groups. 67. A salad bowlor pizzamight be a more appropriate term because many of these groups have maintained their ethnic identities. 68. Silicon Valley, near San Francisco is the worlds centre of high-tech science. 69. There are: Indians (native inhabitants) Blacks or Afro-Americans Hispanics (esp. Puerto Ricans) Jews Europeans (esp. Irish, Polish, Italian) Asians (esp. Chinese)

Vraag 70. What is the difference between independent schools and state schools? In the UK, schools are classified by the way in which they are funded. State-maintained schools, attended by about 93 per cent of children, are almost entirely financed from public funds, by the state. The other 7 per cent attend independent schools, which are privately run, and funded mostly by tuition fees. These independent schools are very expensive. They are called: Public Schools Vraag 71. What parallel to the National Curriculum do we have in our country? The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. Notwithstanding its name, it does not apply to Independent Schools, which by definition are free to set their own curriculum, but it ensures that state schools of all Local Education Authorities have a common curriculum. The Education Reform Act 1988 requires that all state students be taught a Basic Curriculum of Religious Education and the National Curriculum.

The purpose of the National Curriculum was to ensure that certain basic material was covered by all pupils. In subsequent years the curriculum grew to fill the entire teaching time of most state schools. In our country this is called Kerndoelen Vraag 72. Give the British equivalents for: peuterspeelzaal, basis school, voortgezet onderwijs. Peuterspeelzaal = Kindergarten, Nursery School Basis School = Primary school Voortgezet onderwijs = Secondary School Vraag 73 Do the same for: Scholengemeenschap, VWO, Universiteit and HBO Scholengemeenschap = comprehensive school VWO = sixth-form college (gymnasium = grammar school) Universiteit = University HBO = Polytechnic/ College Vraag 74 Wat wordt er bedoeld met de sixth form? The sixth form, in the English, Welsh and Northern Irish education systems, is the term used to refer to the final (optional) two years of secondary schooling (when students are about sixteen to eighteen years of age). The students are prepared for higher education (university or polytechnic). Vraag 75 Onderbouw = Junior High School Bovenbouw = Senior High School Vraag 76GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is the name of a set of British qualifications, taken by secondary school students, at age of 14 until 16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. A-Level The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in the United Kingdom, usually taken by students in the sixth form. After they have completed GCSE exams. It is a non-compulsory qualification taken by students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, students usually take Highers and Advanced Highers of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate. However, schools may choose to offer the A-Level as an alternative. Vraag 77 What is the difference between marks and grades. In education, grade can mean either: a teacher's standardized evaluation of a student's work a student's level of educational progress, usually one grade a year. For example, in some countries, eight and nine-year old students study together in the "3rd Grade", and seventeen and eighteen-year students are in the "12th Grade". Mark, is a grade awarded to students' work

( het verschil is dat marks voor een toets, met cijfers worden uit gedrukt en grades met letters; A, B, C, D, E,) 78. A Public School is an independent schools which are privately run, and funded mostly by tuition fees. These independent schools are very expensive. Public school in US: Most parents send their children to either a public or private institution. According to government data, one-tenth of students are enrolled in private schools. Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools,[2] largely because they are "free" (tax burdens by school districts vary from area to area). Most students attend school for around six hours per day, and usually anywhere from 175 to 185 days per year. Most schools have a summer break period for about two and half months from June through August. This break is much longer than in many other nations. Originally, "summer vacation," as it is colloquially called, allowed students to participate in the harvest period during the summer. However, this is now relatively unnecessary and remains largely by tradition; it also has immense popular support. 79. A preparatory school, or prep school in the United Kingdom, and previously in the British Empire and so the Commonwealth in current English usage, is an independent school designed to prepare a student for fee-paying, secondary independent school (public school). 80. A day school is - as opposed to a boarding school - an institution where children are given educational instruction only during the day and after which children return to their homes. The term can also be used to emphasize the length of full-day programs as opposed to after-school programs, as in Jewish day school. Many public schools in the Commonwealth of Nations and private schools in the US are boarding schools. The amount of time one spends in boarding school varies considerably from one year to twelve or more years. Boarding school pupils may spend the majority of their childhood and adolescent life away from their parents, although pupils return home during the holidays. Pupils may be sent to boarding schools at any ages up to eighteen. 81. Co-Curricular activities (CCAs), previously known as Extracurricular Activities (ECAs) are activities that education organisations in some parts of the world create for school students. They serve to promote a variety of activities which all school students must attend alongside the standard study curriculum. A school dinner is a meal (dinner or lunch) provided to students at a school. It is usually served at sometime around noon. 82. Ox-bridge is a name used to refer to the universities of Oxford and

Cambridge, the two oldest in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world. The name is a portmanteau of the two universities' names. 83. Admission: There is a centralised admission system operated by UCAS. Applications, which may be made on-line, must be made by October 15th of the previous year for Oxford and Cambridge (and medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses) and by January of the same year for admissions to other UK universities. Many universities now operate the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) and all universities in Scotland use the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) enabling easier transfer between courses and institutions.
84. Bachelor / Master is an educational system that is dividided into two parts. A Bachelor part: takes about 3 years A Master part: takes 1 to 2 years