The British Isles Many thousands of years ago the mainland of Europe stretched much further west than now, and by the sinking of the land, the ocean covered a great deal of the continent. The British Isles and neighbouring small islands were left above the surface of the sea, because they were the highest parts of the land. The water flowed into the valleys among the hills, thus producing an uneven coast and many good harbours.
There are many facts which prove this. None of the seas round the British Isles are very deep. In fact in some parts of the North Sea there is a depth of less than six meters. The rounded, flat-topped hills that give character to the English scenery have been worn down by the slowly-moving sheet of ice that once covered the whole of Northern Europe. The white chalk cliffs of Southern England correspond to those of Northern France, while the lowlands of the east coast correspond to the lowlands of Holland. The forests that once covered the greater part of the country were made up of common European trees. Nowadays there are practically no forests in Britain, but there are very many leafy trees that give beauty to the countryside.
Дайте ответы на следующие вопросы по данному тексту .
1. What produced an uneven coast and many good harbours?
The water that flowed into the valleys among the hills produced an uneven coast and many good harbors.
2. What gave character to the English scenery?
The rounded flat-topped hills give character to the English scenery.
3. Are the seas round the British Isles deep?
No, the seas round the British Isles are not deep.
4. What gives beauty to the countryside of Britain?
Many leafy trees give beauty to the countryside of Britain.
