Chapter 3 topic practice
British History Practice Questions
History questions become easier when events are organised into periods rather than memorised as isolated facts. Use rulers, conflicts, reforms and cultural changes as anchors, then place individual names and dates around them.
Questions with explanations
10 British history questions
Choose an answer before opening the explanation. These study questions are presented in static HTML so they can be read without starting a timer or enabling JavaScript.
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Sample question 1
Who were the first people to arrive in Britain in what we call the Stone Age?
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Answer: Hunter-gatherers
The first people to live in Britain were hunter-gatherers, in what we call the Stone Age.
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Sample question 2
When did Britain become permanently separated from the continent by the Channel?
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Answer: 10,000 years ago
Britain only became permanently separated from the continent by the Channel about 10,000 years ago.
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Sample question 3
Which of the following statements regarding the Black Death is not true?
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Answer: It affected children and old people only
In 1348, a disease, probably a form of plague, came to Britain. This was known as the Black Death. One third of the population of England died and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales. This was one of the worst disasters ever to strike Britain. Following the Black Death, the smaller population meant there was less need to grow cereal crops. There were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages.
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Sample question 4
Who was reigning in England when Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales?
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Answer: Henry VIII
During the reign of Henry VIII, Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales.
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Sample question 5
The Elizabethan period is known for the richness of its poetry and drama, especially for the plays and poems of which playwright?
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Answer: William Shakespeare
The Elizabethan period is remembered for the richness of its poetry and drama, especially the plays and poems of William Shakespeare.
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Sample question 6
Which flag has a diagonal red cross on a white ground?
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Answer: The cross of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland
The cross of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, is a diagonal red cross on a white ground.
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Sample question 7
Who was the inventor of the World Wide Web?
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Answer: Sir Tim Berners-Lee
The inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee (1955-), is British. Information was successfully transferred via the web for the first time on 25 December 1990.
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Sample question 8
When did the Wars of the Roses start?
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Answer: 1455
In 1455, a civil war was begun to decide who should be king of England. It was fought between the supporters of two families: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. This war was called the Wars of the Roses, because the symbol of Lancaster was a red rose and the symbol of York was a white rose.
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Sample question 9
What is the name of the best preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe and which origin traces back to the Stone Age?
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Answer: Skara Brae
Skara Brae on Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland, is the best preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe, and has helped archaeologists to understand more about how people lived near the end of the Stone Age.
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Sample question 10
After the Black Death, new social classes appeared in England, including owners of large areas of land known as:
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Answer: Gentry
Following the Black Death, the smaller population meant there was less need to grow cereal crops. There were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages. New social classes appeared, including owners of large areas of land (later called the gentry), and people left the countryside to live in the towns. In the towns, growing wealth led to the development of a strong middle class.