How Andorra has preserved its Independence

Part 2: Open cloze

For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

How Andorra has preserved its Independence

Example:

0. anything

Despite its modest size, Andorra has a history that is (0) _____ but straightforward. Situated in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, the country has preserved its independence for centuries, largely because its leaders learned to balance the interests of more powerful neighbours.

Rather (9) _____ being governed by a single ruler, Andorra developed a co-principality in which authority was traditionally shared (10) _____ the French head of state and the Bishop of Urgell. This unusual arrangement originated in a medieval agreement and helps explain (11) _____ neither neighbouring country gained complete control of the territory.

At times when conflict broke out elsewhere in Europe, Andorra generally avoided being drawn (12) _____ major military confrontations. This did not mean that the country remained entirely untouched (13) _____ external events. Political squabbling between regional powers occasionally threatened its stability, and historians have sometimes struggled to nail (14) _____ exactly how particular disputes were resolved.

Had Andorra’s rulers been less willing to negotiate, the country might (15) _____ undergone far greater political change. Instead, compromise allowed its institutions to survive. Only by carefully balancing competing interests was Andorra (16) _____ to maintain a distinctive political identity while adapting to the modern world.