Use of English PRO

Norway is (0) A country at a crossroads, (1) ............ given Norway's natural wonders and significant wealth, it's a situation in which most countries in the world would love to find themselves. Norway is, by any (2) ............ , one of the most beautiful countries on earth, but the beauty brings with it a responsibility that (3) ............ heavily upon Norwegians, For here is a people with an enduring love for the natural world that is profoundly etched (4) ............ the national character. In the past, this was expressed in the Norwegian tradition of isolated farm steads that colonised the most (5) ............ corners of the country's wilderness. Increasingly, however, the (6) ............ movement of Norwegians towards the cities – cities that are themselves places of great beauty, such as Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and Tromso has altered the relationship between Norwegians and their natural world. But one thing remains unaltered: to paraphrase that great Norwegian son, Henrik Ibsen, those who wish to understand Norwegians, must first understand Norway's magnificent but severe natural environment, (7) ............ these are a people of the land, perhaps more (8) ............ than any other Europeans.