11th Grade Study Guide

Note: THIS A GUIDE ONLY! Not all answers for the test can
be found on this document. It would help to re-read texts
and reattempt exercises that you have already completed.
The Test Will Be Based On Reading and Vocabulary from Lessons:
1. The UK Parliament and US Congress
a. Where is the UK Parliament and US Congress Located?
 UK Parliament – The Palace of Westminster.
 US Congress – in the US Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington.
b. What is the House of Commons and The House of Lords? What year were
they created?
 The House of Commons is where the UK Members of Parliament
(MPs) sit. It dates back to 1341.
 The House of Lords is the second chamber of UK Parliament. It
plays a crucial role in examining bills, questioning government
action and investigating public policy. It dates from the Model
Parliament called by King Edward I in 1295.
c. How many people are seen in The House of Commons, The House of Lords,
The House of Representatives, and The Senate?
 The House of Commons – 650
 The House of Lords – 783
 The House of Representatives - 435
 The Senate - 100
d. Vocabulary
2. The US Constitution and the UK Constitution
a. When was the US Constitution created? When were the different parts of
the UK Constitution created?
 The US Constitution - September 17, 1787. They were created in
1919.
b. What are amendments in the US Constitution?
 Amendments 1-10 are often called the Bill of Rights, and are seen
as most important.
c. What are the Bill of Rights in Both the US and UK Constitutions?
 US Constitution - The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to
the U.S. Constitution, adopted as a single unit in 1791. It spells out
the rights of the people of the United States in relation to their
government.
  UK Constitution - In general, the Bill of Rights limited the power of
the monarchy, elevated the status of Parliament and outlined
specific rights of individuals.
d. What are the different articles in the US Constitution and what are they
about? What are the different parts of the UK Constitution and what are
they about?
e. Vocabulary
3. British Monarchy
a. What is a monarchy?
 A monarchy is a form of government where a king or a queen,
called the sovereign, is Head of State.
4. Court Institutions
a. What are the different types of courts? What do they do?
 Magistrates’ Court is where all criminal cases begin. There is no
jury, and the verdicts are decided by magistrates (sometimes one,
but usually two or three). They can hear a case and decide of the
guilt or innocence of the accused, or they can refer the case to
crown court for more serious criminal cases (see below). Most
sentences handed down in a magistrates’ court involve a fine or a
prison sentence of less than 12 months.
 County Court is where civil cases begin. It is the equivalent of
criminal law’s magistrates’ court, but there is a judge instead of a
magistrate.
 Crown Court is for serious criminal cases, and a judge is in charge.
The case is heard by 12 jurors and they decide on the guilt or
innocence of the accused. The judge then decides on a sentence, if
the verdict is guilty.
 The High Court of Justice is like the crown court, but for civil cases.
It deals with cases where the amount of damages asked for is large.
A judge is in charge of the court and passes a verdict after listening
to the arguments from each side.
 The Court of Appeals is where a defendant goes if they feel the
verdict against them was wrong. This court hears both civil and
criminal appeals.
 The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Its decisions can
only be overturned by an Act of Parliament. 12 judges sit and come
to a verdict individually: the final verdict depends on the majority
of judges.
b. What are the different types of judges and what do they do?
 A magistrate, or justice of the peace, sits in a magistrate’s court
and deals with small cases. In terms of civil cases, this means those
for which a guilty verdict would result in a maximum sentence of
12 months in prison. Magistrates deal with the majority of criminal
cases heard in England.
  A judge sits in a crown court or higher for criminal cases, or a high
court of justice or higher for civil ones. He or she often has to work
with a jury, and are drawn from the pool of barristers. At the top
level, judges work in the courts of appeal and the supreme court,
where a group of judges decided on major cases and points of law.
In the latter case, the decision goes by majority votes.
c. What are the different types of lawyers and what do they do?
 A solicitor is the name given to an ordinary lawyer in England (the
term attorney is used in some other countries. It takes at least six
years to qualify as a solicitor in England: you must do a three-year
law degree, a full-time 12-month Legal Practice Course and two
years’ apprenticeship at a law firm. A solicitor can then open an
office in the high street of a town, so clients can simply walk in off
the street. They do all of the legal jobs that most people need on a
day-to-day or year-to-year basis. They can transfer deeds when you
buy or sell a house, draw up a contract or represent someone
during a divorce. Solicitors also argue cases in magistrates’ and
county courts, though if the client has a serious case in crown or
county court (or a higher court), the solicitor will probably advise
them to hire a barrister too.

 A barrister (called an advocate in some other countries) is

somebody who has specialised in court procedures and has trained
in how to represent a legal case to a judge or jury. This requires
somebody to do a law degree or equivalent, pass the Bar Course
Aptitude Test to qualify for a full-time one-year Bar Professional
Training Course, and finally do 12 months of ‘pupillage’, or on-the-
job training under a qualified barrister. A barrister appears in court
either as the prosecutor or the defence lawyer in a criminal case,
and as either the lawyer for the plaintiff or the defendant in civil
cases.
d. Vocabulary
5. Big Ben
a. What is Big Ben’s current real name? What was Big Ben’s old name? Who
was it named for?
 Big Ben’s current real name is Elizabeth Tower. it was renamed the
Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
 The old name of Big Ben’s the Clock Tower.
b. Who created the clock? When was it made?
c. What does the clock do (besides tell time)?
d. What are some events it is a part of? Why is the clock so important?
e. Vocabulary
6. The Role of the Ombudsman
 a. What is an ombudsman? What is its main role? Where does the title come
from?
b. What are some areas where you might see an ombudsman?
c. What are some examples of Ombudsman in different countries?
d. Vocabulary
7. Local Government in The US
a. What are the 3 main types of government? WHat do they do?
b. What are local governments in the USA? What do they usually do?What
parts of the country do they govern? Who runs local governments?
c. What are the different types of local governments?
d. Vocabulary
8. The UK and US Election System
a. When are the elections held for both countries?
b. What are the election processes for both countries?
c. What are the different political parties in both countries? What
values/ideologies do they represent? (I.E Labour Party= represents
workers, want money spent on healthcare).
d. Vocabulary
9. Coming of Age
a. What are the differences in driving ages within the UK and US? What is
allowed?
b. At what age does the US allow people to marry? At what age does the UK
allow people to marry?
c. What is the minimum age to vote in both countries? What were the rules in
the past?
d. Vocabulary