Britain’s System of Education
The British Commonwealth includes a quarter of the world’s population in one-sixth of the world’s land area. All its (1) ______ member states have been formerly parts of the British Empire. In these countries English is either the first language or the most (2) ______ means of communication except for small-scale business. Today the Commonwealth is a (3) ______ association of independent (4) ______ states. Hong Kong cannot become independent because its main land section is part of China, but had been by Britain on a 99 year lease which (5) ______ in 1997. The transformation of the British Empire into a Commonwealth of independent nations began in 1867, when Canada became fully self-governed. The new Commonwealth took shape in 1947, when India and Pakistan became fully independent. Within 20 years, all the major British territories, in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean had been independent, with the help and agreement of the British government. In many independent countries of the Commonwealth, the British cultural influence survives, as can be felt in their (6)______. systems and in (7) ______ and (8) ______ processes. But Britain has avoided any (9) ______ with their relations with other states, or with their internal politics. In the United Nations, members of the Commonwealth are quite often (10) ______ to each other.