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Guide Training in London
| Europe |
Basic questions on Europe: its capitals, its great historic centres or items of cultural interest. |
| Architecture |
Questions will reflect those of an informed tourist to London and will have a bias towards London. It is likely to include new major buildings/ architects and some basic architectural features.
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| Geography |
Questions will reflect a familiarity with a map of the British Isles including physical features. As Britain is also part of the European Union, a general awareness of a map of Europe will be needed. |
| History |
Familiarity with a general outline of the chronology of British history is sought, together with a basic knowledge of nationally important personalities. |
| Literature |
Much literature is familiar to visitors to London through television and films, whilst our theatre is world-renowned. Questions will be designed to reveal a basic knowledge of some major playwrights, novelists and poets and their works. |
| Music & Painting |
Questions will reflect those of the well-informed tourist to London. Knowledge of the general contents of the major museums and galleries in London will be sought.
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| London |
Questions are designed to test general knowledge of major tourist attractions. |
| Current Events |
Questions will test awareness of major events. |
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Preparation for Pre-entry test:
For those who feel they need to prepare for the pre-entry test, the following are suggestions, many of which will be available from good libraries:
Familiarity with a map of London and reading a "pocket guide book" to the capital is a good start. You need to know where major tourist attractions are and how to get to them. Take a guided coach tour around London. Evan Evans, Premium Tours and Golden Tours use Blue Badge guides, (but check that the tour you are taking is not being conducted by an unqualified guide. The open top buses do NOT use Blue Badge Guides). Walks around central London advertised weekly in “Time Out” are also a good idea.
Most national museums and art galleries do short, free, guided tours which you may find helpful. Ernst Gombrich’s “The Story of Art” is also a good basic book for those who are not familiar with western art.
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Read a national newspaper regularly. The Evening Standard is good for London news and events, as is “Time Out”.
A basic book on English Literature (such as the Oxford Book of Literature) is a good preparation, together with the theatre review pages in the newspapers.
A basic book on English Literature (such as the Oxford Book of Literature) or Poets’ corner in Westminster Abbey is a good preparation, together with the theatre review pages in the newspapers.
Any simple single-volume history of England is valid, including children’s books. Christopher Lee’s “This Sceptred Isle” is a good, readable, comprehensible survey. His book on the 20th century is a separate book.
A number of beginners' guides to Architecture are available, particularly at the R.I.B.A. shop in Great Portland Street, W.1.
For out of London general knowledge the Pitkin series on Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, Bath, Canterbury, Stonehenge, Windsor and Salisbury are excellent for basics.
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