REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What does the expression ‘too clever by half’ mean?
When you say a person is “too clever by half”, you mean that he is too confident of his own intelligence in a
way that annoys other people.
2. Who is Lord Snooty?
He was a fictional character in the UK comic strip “The Beano”. He was a very ordinary boy who just happens
to be an Earl and a friend of the central character, Lord Marmaduke of Bunkerton.
3. Explain the meaning of the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom.
The present design of the Union Flag dates from the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. It combines
aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of St George of England, the white saltire of St
Andrew for Scotland, and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland
Wales is not represented separately in the Union Flag, but indirectly represented through the cross of St
George.
4. Who are whips? What is their job?
‘Whips’ are MPs and they act as intermediaries between ‘backbenchers’ and ‘frontbenchers’ of a party. They
‘have the ear’ of the party leaders and keep the party leadership about backbench opinion. They are powerful
people since they can have an effect on which backbenchers get promoted to the front bench and which do not.
5. Who is the Speaker of the Parliament? Describe his/her job?
The Speaker of the Parliament is the presiding officer of the House of Commons. The Speaker presides over the
House's debates, determining which members may speak. He / She is also responsible for maintaining order
during debates, may punish members who break the rules of the House, and even ban an MP from the House for
a number of days. Unlike presiding officers of legislatures in many other countries, the Speaker remains strictly
non-partisan, and renounces all affiliation with his or her former political party when taking office as well as
when leaving the office. The Speaker does not take part in debate or vote (except to break ties). Aside from
duties relating to presiding over the House, the Speaker also performs administrative and procedural functions,
and remains in the job for as long as he or she wants it. He / She is the second most important ‘commoner’ (non-
aristocrat) in the kingdom after the Prime Minister.
6. What do ‘frontbenchers’ and ‘backbenchers’ refer?
‘Frontbenchers’ and ‘backbenchers’ refer to the seats on either side in the House of Commons. The front seats
are reserved for both the leading members of the governing party and the opposition party.
Then the back seats are of course taken by those who do not hold important positions in both parties.
7. What does ‘Riviera’ mean? Where is the ‘English Riviera’?
‘Riviera’ means an area by the sea where the climate is warm and popular for holidays. The South-west
Peninsula of England is known as the ‘English Riviera’ thanks to its warm climate, beautiful small bays, and
especially wild moorlands (Exmoor & Dartmoor) ideal for holidays.
