Overview
Food and drink
The year and its holidays
Places to know
Getting around
Money and shopping
Your home and the bills
Health and everyday services
Sport and free time
Being part of your community
This chapter covers ordinary life in Britain. It is about what people eat, the days they celebrate, how they travel, and how money and homes work. These are the everyday facts the test asks about, and the ones you use most once you live here.
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The Sunday roast is a traditional meal. It is roast meat with potatoes and vegetables
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Fish and chips is one of the best known British meals. It is usually eaten with salt and vinegar
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A full English breakfast can include bacon, eggs, sausage, beans, tomato and toast
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Porridge, made from oats, is a common breakfast, and is traditional in Scotland
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Tea is the traditional drink. It is often served with milk
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Afternoon tea is tea served with cakes or scones, with jam and cream
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Each nation has its own dishes. Haggis is Scottish, Welsh cakes are Welsh, and Ulster fry is from Northern Ireland
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A pub, short for public house, is a place to drink and often to eat. You must be 18 to buy alcohol
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Bank holidays are public holidays. Most people do not work and many shops close early
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New Year's Day, 1 January, is a bank holiday everywhere in the UK
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Christmas Day, 25 December, is the biggest holiday of the year. Families eat together and give presents
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Boxing Day, 26 December, is the day after Christmas Day and is also a bank holiday
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Good Friday and Easter Monday fall in March or April. Easter has no fixed date
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There are further bank holidays in May and August
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Scotland and Northern Ireland have some bank holidays that England and Wales do not
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Bonfire Night, 5 November, has fireworks. It remembers the Gunpowder Plot of 1605
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Remembrance Day, 11 November, remembers those who died in wars. People wear a poppy
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Hallowe'en, 31 October, is an older tradition. Children dress up and visit houses
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London is the capital of the UK. The River Thames flows through it
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The Tower of London holds the Crown Jewels
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10 Downing Street in London is where the Prime Minister lives and works
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Buckingham Palace is the monarch's official home in London
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Famous buildings include the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the name of the bell in the clock tower
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Other large cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool
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Liverpool is where The Beatles came from
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The countryside includes national parks such as the Lake District and Snowdonia, which are open to everyone
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In the UK you drive on the left. This is different from most of Europe
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You must be 17 to drive a car on public roads
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The speed limit on a motorway is 70 miles per hour, unless a sign says otherwise
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A roundabout keeps traffic moving where roads meet. You give way to traffic coming from your right
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Cars over three years old need an annual safety test called the MOT
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You must have insurance to drive, and your car must be taxed
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The DVLA issues driving licences and registers vehicles
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Cities have buses and trains. London also has the Underground, known as the Tube
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The currency is the pound sterling, written £. One pound is 100 pence
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The UK did not join the euro and kept the pound
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Most people are paid into a bank account and pay by card or phone
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Shops are open most days. Sunday opening hours are shorter
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A National Insurance number is your personal reference for tax and benefits. You need one to work
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People own their home, rent privately from a landlord, or rent social housing from a council or housing association
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A tenancy agreement is the contract between a tenant and a landlord
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Council tax is paid to the local council. It pays for local services such as rubbish collection and libraries
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You also pay for gas, electricity and water, and usually for internet and phone
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You need a TV licence to watch live television or to use BBC iPlayer
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Put your rubbish and recycling out on the day your council collects it
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Call 999 for an ambulance, the police or the fire service. The call is free
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Call 111 for urgent medical advice when it is not an emergency
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Call 101 for the police when it is not an emergency
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Your GP is your local doctor and usually the first person you see when you are ill
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Register with a GP surgery near your home when you move
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Pharmacies give advice on minor illness and dispense medicines
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The Met Office is the national weather service. British weather changes often, which is why people talk about it
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The Citizens Advice service gives free help with money, housing and legal problems
The National Health Service is covered in more detail in the UK Society chapter.
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Football is the most popular sport. Most towns have a team
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Cricket, rugby and tennis are also widely followed
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Wimbledon is the tennis tournament held in London each summer
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Many people enjoy gardening, and most homes with a garden keep one
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Pets are common. Dogs and cats are the most popular
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Public libraries, parks and many museums are free to use
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Volunteering is common. Charities rely on people giving their time
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You can help at a school as a school governor, or join a local group
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Being a good neighbour means keeping noise down and looking after shared spaces
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If you are 18 or over and eligible, you can register to vote and take part in elections
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Treating other people with respect is part of British life, whatever their background
Answer questions drawn only from Everyday Life and see what stuck.