1. Mary: Some of my students have been asking me some very [1] a) approximately b) interesting c) lake d) mountain questions, but I don't know the answers. Do either of you know Wendy and Stephen - they want to know about the countries in the UK. What countries are there in the UK?

2. Stephen: Well Mary, it's [2] a) highest b) information c) interesting d) pronounce you should say that, because I have a map on the wall here. If you look over here, you can see that at the top of the United Kingdom is Scotland. Down here towards the South of the United Kingdom you'll find Wales. Across here, in this predominantly green area, Northern Ireland at the top; and if I follow my finger round the [3] a) capital b) information c) largest d) queen section of the United Kingdom is England.

3. Wendy: And Stephen, do you know which are the [4] a) approximately b) capital c) interesting d) largest cities in those four countries?

4. Stephen: Well Wendy, that's a very good question. If you look at my map again, you can see here in Scotland that the [5] a) capital b) information c) interesting d) longest of Scotland is Edinburgh. If we come across the north channel to Northern Ireland you can see that the [6] a) biggest b) capital c) information of Northern Ireland is Belfast. If we come across here, the Irish Sea, down to Wales, you'll see that the [7] a) approximately b) capital c) largest of Wales is Cardiff. And, if we come across slightly, the [8] a) capital b) information c) queen of England is London.

5. Mary: That's really helpful Stephen. Which country has the [9] a) approximately b) biggest c) capital d) longest population?

6. Wendy: I know Mary. England has about 50 million people.

7. Stephen: That's [10] a) capital b) interesting c) mountain d) queen Wendy. But which country has the lowest population?

8. Wendy: Well, Northern Ireland only has about 2 million people.

9. Stephen: Don't forget Scotland and Wales. Wales has [11] a) approximately b) capital c) highest d) information 3 million people, Scotland has [12] a) approximately b) longest c) queen 6 million people, and the whole of the United Kingdom is about 60 million people.

10. Wendy: Does anyone know which country has the [13] a) biggest b) capital c) highest d) interesting [14] a) biggest b) largest c) mountain d) queen in the UK?

11. Mary: Wendy I have got that [15] a) capital b) information c) lake d) largest . I can tell you that the [16] a) highest b) information c) smallest d) largest [17] a) capital b) interesting c) mountain d) pronounce in the UK is in Scotland. It's called Ben Nevis and it's 1,343 metres high.

12. Stephen: So which country has the [18] a) approximately b) highest c) interesting d) longest river, Mary?

13. Mary: I've got that [19] a) capital b) information c) longest too. It says here that the [20] a) information b) interesting c) longest d) pronounce river is called the Severn and it's in England and it is 354 kilometres in length.

14. Wendy: And what's that in the middle of Northern Ireland? Is it a lake? That white area?

15. Stephen: Do you mean this one here? Well this is actually the [21] a) large b) highest c) information d) largest [22] a) lake b) longest c) queen in the United Kingdom. We [23] a) pronouncing b) highest c) pronounce it Loch Neagh but Irish people may [24] a) pronouncing b) highest c) pronounce d) queen it differently.

16. Wendy: Have these four countries always been united?

17. Stephen: That's a very good question Wendy. Over a thousand years ago each country had its own monarch, its own king or [25] a) capital b) information c) mountain d) queen , though the United Kingdom has its own [26] a) approximately b) highest c) interesting d) queen now, it hasn't always been the case. I think Mary has more [27] a) highest b) information c) interesting d) inform about this.

18. Mary: Yes, I do have some more [28] a) information b) news c) inform here. It says that Wales came under the control of England in 1535, Scotland and England joined in 1707. Ireland - Northern Ireland - is a bit different. In 1800 Great Britain ruled the whole of Ireland. But the Republic of Ireland became independent in 1922 and it's now completely separate, a different country. But the top part of Ireland that we call Northern Ireland that is still part of Great Britain.

19. Wendy: UK