CLOSE FRIENDS
British people have a reputation for being rather quiet and reserved. However, a new study has (1) ____
that Britons are actually quite sociable and the (2) ____ person claims to have 14 close friends. Although a
minority of those questioned (3) ____ that they had no best friend, a quarter said that they had more than 18
close friends. Experts said that this is (4) ____ to changes in the way people (5) ____ their free time. They are
now more (6) ____ to invite friends to their homes or go out socialising than previous generations. The
increasing use of mobile phones and emails has also made it easier to (7) ____ a greater number of friendships.
Men's relationships are not (8) ____ though they tend to have more friends. Women, (9) ____ prefer to
have a small number of friends they can trust (10) ____, and with whom they can feel completely at (11) ____.
The idea that people in the north of England are more neighbourly than those in the south seems to be backed
(12) ____ by the survey. However, despite having friends, it seems that family still (13) ____ an important part
in most people's lives. When asked who they would (14) ____ to for help if they were ill or had a problem, the
majority said that they would (15) ____ upon a relative first rather than a friend.