I. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. The separation (of the British Isles) took place thousands of years ago, after the last___.

2. The advantages of geographical position of Great Britain created favourable conditions for the development of___.

3. With the acquisition of overseas colonies and establishment of an empire Britain attained the status of a___.

4. During the 20th century Britain has lost this position and her economy has faced increasing problems especially with the ___of the empire.

5. Most of the people of the Orkney Islands are engaged in___.

6. The Isle of Wight lies across the southern end of___, and is separated from the mainland by the___.

7. The British Isles are known for their greatly ___coastline.

II. Complete the sentences with the best answer (a, b or c).

1. From the European continent the British Isles are separated by

a) the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

b) the Irish Sea and the English Channel.

c) the English Channel and the North Sea.

2. The most important sea routes pass through the English Channel and the North Sea linking Europe with

a) America.

b) Africa.

c) Asia.

3. The true value of Britain's geographical position clearly emerged during the period which saw the discovery of America and the opening of the sea route to the Far East round

a) the Cape Horn.

b) the Cape of Good Hope.

c) Land's End.

4. The Channel Islands have been attached to the English Crown since

a) the Roman Conquest.

b) the Anglo-Saxon Conquest.

c) the Norman Conquest.

5. The chief islands of the group of the Channel Islands are the Isles of

a) Wight and Jersey.

b) Jersey and Scilly.

c) Guernsey and Jersey.

III. Are the statements true or false? Correct the false statements.

1. Politically the British Isles are divided into two countries — the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Irish Republic or Eire.

2. The English Channel in its widest part in the west is 120 km wide, and in the narrowest, what is called the Strait of Dover, only 52 km.

3. The British Isles, although developing slowly before the discovery of the New World, were in the centre of the European civilization.

4. However, it is important to remember that Britain, with the benefits of coal production, is still one of the leading industrial and trading countries in the world.

5. The Isle of Wight lies across the southern end of Southampton Water, and is separated from the mainland by the Solent.

6. Living on islands, and therefore near the sea, the inhabitants naturally grew into a nation of traders.

IV. Answer the questions.

1. Comment on the formation of the British Isles.

2. Describe the geographical position of the British Isles.

3. Which factors influence the advantages of Britain's geographical position?

4. Explain the statement: With the discovery of the Americas the British Isles became an intermediary between Europe and the New World.

5. Why did the wealth and influence of Great Britain increase from the 16th century?

6. What problems has Great Britain faced during the 20th century?

7. What have archaeologists and historians demonstrated in relation to the present-day inhabitants of the British Isles?

8. Examine the composition of the British Isles naming and showing in the map the major islands and groups of islands.

9. Characterize the coastline of the British Isles referring to the bene­fits of its indentity.

10. What are the advantages of Great Britain's insular position?

11. Give a brief historical outline of London.