BRITAIN’S WILDEST PLACE

You are going to read a magazine article about the Hebrides Islands in Scotland. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which tits each gap (1 6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (O).

BRITAIN’S WILDEST PLACE

By Jan Orchard-Smith

It was just after 5 a.m. and the summer sun was rising over the mountains as the Marguerite Explorer sailed out of the loch into the calm waters of the sea. I was at the wheel – under the watchful eye of the captain. A few of the other dozen passengers and crew were on deck, clutching mugs of coffee. 0. _____H_______ In the morning light, a dozen dolphins, grey and graceful, were swimming straight towards us.

The Hebrides, a group of islands off the Scottish coast, offer tourists a diversity of wildlife and
scenery with few equals in the UK. 1.____________ in places it is possible to see such marine
animals from the shore, but to have the best views; you need to be on a boat.

2. ______________ The Marguerite Explorer was the first boat to offer whale-watching holidays throughout the Hebrides, Under the command of Christopher Swann, the crew of the Marguerite have worked with some of the world's leading sea-life scientists. They are very knowledgeable guides to the islands.

The Hebridan archipelago stretches nearly 250 miles from top to bottom, covers over a hundred
miles from side to side, and has about 2,500 miles of coastline. 3. __________This relative lack
of people, together with freedom from pollution, helps to make the Hebrides a haven tor rare
flowers and plants.

4._______________Some ot the islands are under threat from mining and throughout the islands, developments such as fish farms, which are vital to the local economy affect the environment too.

The Hebrides have their share of problems, but they are unbelievably beautiful. Why then, aren't they packed with tourists? While visitors are an increasingly important part of the island economy, tourism is still low key compared with some other parts of Britain. The answer may be that the prevailing Hebridan climate is wet and windy. 5._____________________

Another discouraging factor is the wildlife the tourists least want to see - the insects, especially the mosquitoes. Particularly between July and September, visitors can expect to be severely bitten. Like 50 many wild places, the Hebrides can be hard on visitors. 6.________  And you will feel you will want to return to them, as I felt when I approached the end of my journey in the Marguerite Explorer.

A.     There are now a number of companies offering such trips.

B.     However, only about 40 out of the hundreds of islands are permanently inhabited.

C.     This is more than enough to put off the casual guest

D.     And in the waters around them you can find not only dolphins but whales and the
mighty sea eagle as well.

E.      But once you've watched dolphins leap through the dazzling water around
your boat, you’ll think they are paradise.

F.      Moreover, the fate of the islands and their people are bound together.

G.     Despite being relatively unspoilt, the Hebrides are also facing many pressures.

H.     Suddenly someone shouted: a splash in the water, halt a mile away.

ANSWER KEY

1. D

2. A

3. B

4. G

5. C

6. E