I think that all are in agreement that the 'British citizenship' tests are a complete load of less than satisfactory.
It is a given, of course, that the whole concept of trying to define the culture of any country by means of a multiple choice questionnaire is perilously close to clinical insanity, and the sort of weird notion that would only occur to an academic sociologist living in north-west London who has never been further north than Oxford - the very people who seemed to have been running much of the last administration's home policy.
On second thoughts, however, one of the enduring qualities of some inhabitants of these Isles (particularly the English) has always been a strong tendency towards eccentricity - so perhaps anyone who takes the test, throws down their pen in incredulity and exclaims 'These people are mad! has moved some way towards understanding us....
Given that some contract company has surely been paid a lot of money for producing these questions, I wonder if the assembled and motley crew here can do better? I am reminded of that famous bit of Hofnung advice to foreigners - describing British culture he gave some examples, if memory serves:
- Never pay the price demanded for a newspaper; good-natured haggling is customary.
- Never attempt to tip a taxi-driver.
- On first entering a railway carriage, it is customary to shake hands with every passenger.
- Try the famous echo in the British Museum Reading Room.
- Visitors in London hotels are expected by the management to hang the bedlinen out of the windows to air.
- Parking is permitted in the grounds of Buckingham Palace on payment of a small fee to the sentry.
- You can identify British brothels because they have a blue lamp outside.
- British licensing laws require pubs to clear old stock at the end of each day, so beer is free in London pubs after the evening bell.