I. Read the first part of Chapter XII and for each question indicate the correct answer a, b or c.

1. How long did the economic boom after World War II last?

A ten years.

B fifteen years.

C twenty years.

2. How did British cities improve after World War II?

A There was less pollution.

B The number of policemen increased.

C The streets, hospitals and houses improved.

3. Which consumer product did the British not buy in the 1950s?

A the dishwasher.

B the washing machine.

C the car.

4. When did food rationing end?

A 1954.

B 1956.

C 1958.

5. When was the word teenager first used?

A in the 1950s.

B in the 1960s.

C in the 1970s.

6. How did Mary Quant change fashion?

A She designed formal suits.

B She designed psychedelic shoes.

C She designed the miniskirt.

7. What shocked the British public at the beginning of the 1960s?

A The behaviour of the police.

B The behaviour of the politicians.

C The behaviour of the Royal Family.

8. What did France, Germany and Japan have in common in the 1960s?

A Their economies were all weaker than the British economy.

B Their economies were all stronger than the British economy.

C They were the main exporters of British goods.

II. Read the sentences below and for each question indicate the correct answer a, b, c or d.

1. In the 20 years following World War II Britain

A was involved in a depression.

B experienced a period of economic prosperity.

C experienced a period of unemployment.

D spent money on new submarines.

2. The British consumers were encouraged to

A spend money on new products for themselves and their homes.

B save as much money as possible.

C build their own homes.

D emigrate to the colonies.

3. The word teenager was used to indicate

A pop groups of the 1960s.

B people who designed modern clothes.

C young men who bought their first car.

D young people with new ideas and their own money.

4. In the 1960s Britain went into debt because

A it bought more from abroad than it sold.

B it was no longer a world power.

C it did not join the European Economic Community.

D its politicians were old fashioned.

5. What happened when the balance of power in the world changed?

A Britain became the third superpower.

B Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1957.

C Britain went into political and economic decline.

D British workers went on strike.

6. What was blamed for Britain’s economic decline of the 1970s?

A The revolutionary methods employed by the management of industry.

B The trade union strikes which contributed to an economic boom.

C Britain becoming a member of the EEC in 1973.

D The government’s economic policies.

7. In 1979 the economic situation was getting worse

A but everyone had a job.

B and Britain owed a lot of money.

C but prices had stopped rising.

D but there were fewer strikes.

8. At the general election of 1979

A the Conservative Party won and Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.

B the Labour Party won and Tony Blair became Prime Minister.

C the Conservative Party won and John Major became Prime Minister.

D the Labour Party lost and elected Tony Blair as its leader.

9. Margaret Thatcher denationalized industry and fought successfully against

A the telecommunications industry.

B British Airways.

C British Aerospace.

D the trade unions.

10. In Thatcher’s opinion, what was the answer to Britain’s problems?

A The improvement of social policies.

B The nationalization of the country’s industries.

C People taking control of their own lives.

D The ‘cradle to the grave’ philosophy of the Welfare State.

11. Despite a growing economic recession and unpopular new taxes

A Margaret Thatcher was re-elected as Prime Minister in 1992.

B The Conservative Party won the general elections of 1992.

C Margaret Thatcher became more and more popular.

D The Conservative Party re-elected and Margaret Thatcher as its leader in 1990.

12. Optical art makes use of

A coloured glass.

B geometric patterns.

C bright colours.

D patriotic symbols.

13. Ken Loach’s film Riff-Raff follows

A a group of workers as they get rich quickly.

B a group of workers who play hard and work hard.

C a group of workers as they struggle to survive.

D a group of workers fighting against trade union power.

14. Today, London has become well-known for

A innovation in architecture.

B resistance to change.

C innovation in politics and government.

D conservation of historical buildings.