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.