Practice 1　　Britain (or Great Britain) is an island that lies off the north-west coast of Europe. The nearest country is France, which is 20 miles away and from which Britain is separated by the English Channel. The island is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the North Sea to the east. 1______ Scotland is in the north, while Wales is in the west. Ireland, which is also an island, lies off the west coast of Britain. It consists of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Britain together with Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom (UK). Thus, the United Kingdom is composed of four countries, the largest of which is England. The capital city is London, which is situated in south-east England.　　2______ About 70% of the land area is devoted to agriculture, about 7% is wasteland, moorland and mountains, about 13% is devoted to urban development, and 10% is forest and woodland. The northern and western regions of Britain, that is Scotland and Wales, are mainly mountainous and hilly. 3______　　Britain has a generally mild and temperate climate. It is, however, subject to frequent changes. It has an average annual rainfall of about 120 centimetres (47 inches).　　4______ The density of population was approximately 240 people per square kilometre. However, in England, where 83% of the population live, the density was much higher, about 363 per square kilometre.　　5______ However, in western Wales, Welsh is the first language for many of the people. In Scotland only a small number of people speak Gaelic.　　In Britain about 66% of the population say that they are Christian, while fewer than 5% say that they belong to other religions.[A] The UK has a total area of about 244,100 square kilometres (94,248 square miles).[B] In the UK, English is the first language of the vast majority of people.[C] It comprises the mainlands of England, Wales and Scotland, that is, three countries.[D] The U. K. is a country that is both ancient and modern.[E] In 1998, the population of the United Kingdom was nearly 59 million.[F] UK transportation system is very convenient and fast.[G] Parts of the north-west and centre of England also consist of mountains and hills.