Chapter 16 of 32 · Updated for 2026

Writers & Poets: practice questions

Ten Life in the UK test questions on Writers & Poets, each checked against the official handbook and set in the four formats the real test uses. Pick your answer, then tap Show the answer to see why.

1. One answer

   1. Which ancient object, the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs, is on display in the British Museum?

   • AThe Bayeux Tapestry
   • BThe Stone of Destiny
   • CThe Rosetta Stone
   • DTutankhamun's mask
   Show the answer

   C: The Rosetta Stone

   The Rosetta Stone, carved in 196 BC with the same decree in three scripts, has been in the British Museum since 1802.

2. One answer

   2. The writer Roald Dahl was born in Wales to parents from which country?

   • ANorway
   • BDenmark
   • CSweden
   • DIceland
   Show the answer

   A: Norway

   Roald Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian parents and served in the RAF in the Second World War. His books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

3. True or false

   3. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

   The famous line 'The darling buds of May' comes from Shakespeare's play As You Like It.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   Show the answer

   B: False

   It comes from Sonnet 18. As You Like It is the source of 'All the world's a stage'.

4. One answer

   4. Which poet, inspired by nature, wrote 'I wander'd lonely as a cloud' about golden daffodils?

   • AWilliam Wordsworth
   • BWilliam Blake
   • CRobert Browning
   • DLord Byron
   Show the answer

   A: William Wordsworth

   William Wordsworth was inspired by nature; the lines come from his poem The Daffodils.

5. Choose TWO answers

   5. Which TWO statements about Auld Lang Syne are correct?

   • AIt was written by Robert Burns
   • BIt is sung to celebrate the New Year
   • CIt was written by William Shakespeare
   • DIt is sung at the State Opening of Parliament
   Show the answer

   A: It was written by Robert Burns
   B: It is sung to celebrate the New Year

   Auld Lang Syne is Robert Burns' best-known work and is sung around the world at New Year.

6. One answer

   6. On which date is April Fool's Day?

   • A1 April
   • B14 April
   • C1 May
   • D23 April
   Show the answer

   A: 1 April

   April Fool's Day is 1 April, when people play jokes on each other until midday.

7. Which statement is correct

   7. Which of these statements is correct?

   • ARudyard Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.
   • BRudyard Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1936.
   Show the answer

   A: Rudyard Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.

   Kipling won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907. He died in 1936.

8. One answer

   8. When did the novelist Jane Austen live?

   • A1775 to 1817
   • B1812 to 1870
   • C1840 to 1928
   • D1850 to 1894
   Show the answer

   A: 1775 to 1817

   Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817. The other dates belong to Dickens, Hardy and Stevenson.

9. True or false

   9. Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE?

   Treasure Island was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   Show the answer

   B: False

   Treasure Island was written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Conan Doyle wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories.

10. One answer

    10. Which of these poems was written by William Blake?

    • AThe Daffodils
    • BShe Walks in Beauty
    • CHome Thoughts from Abroad
    • DThe Tyger
    Show the answer

    D: The Tyger

    William Blake wrote The Tyger, which begins 'Tyger! Tyger! burning bright'.

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