English as an international language
The English language evolved from a set of West Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles，Saxons，and，who atrived from the Continent in the 5th Century．The emergence of English as a language of Wales results from the ineorpo．
ration of Wales into England．Following a change in vowel pronunciation that marks the transition of English from the medieval to the Renaissance period，the language of the Chancery and Caxton became Early Modern English(the language of Shakespeare’s day)and with relatively moderate changes eventuaily developed into the English language of today．
The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated to have been about five million．Today it is estimated that sorne 260 million people speak it as a native language，mainly in the United States，Canada，Great Brit．a(chǎn)in，Ireland，South Africa，Australia and New Zealand．In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas，there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language，as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms．
his virtually impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to theil‘own language．The purposes for which English is leamed and the situations in， which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to define and still more difficuIt to assess what constitutes an adequate working knowledge for each situation．
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present—day importance as a world language． Besides serving the infinite needs of its native speakers，English is a language in which some of the most important works in science，technology，and other field are being produced，and not always by native speakers． It is widelv used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications，international conferences，and the dissemination(傳播)of information over the radio and television networks of many nations．It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries，especially former British colonies． Many of these eountries have muhillngual populations，and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government，commellce industry．law and education as well as for international communication and for access to the scientific and teehnological development in the west．
1．There are about 260 million people who can speak_____．
A．English in its regional variety B．English in its standard varietv
C．English as a second language D．English as a working language
2．According to this passage，the English language might be used
A．for only one reason that English is becoming an international language
B．mainly by people from the American continent and the European continent
C． as an official language in an international conference on the American cuIture
D．in science and technology as well as in cultural and historical studies of all countries．
3．The author seems to be wondering_____．
A．what makes up one’s adequate working knowledge of English
B．why English can serve so many needs of various peeple
C．how to relate the technological problems in airport eonlmunications
D．when English became so widely used
4．“these countries”(Line7，para3)most probably refers to_____．
A．the developing countries which used to be colonies
B．the folraer British colonies which now are developing
C．the colonized countries which become as strong as Britain
D．the developing countries which are still colonized bv Britain
5．A common language is necessary for some multi—lingual countries
A．for both internal and international communication
B．for access to the development in other countries
C．for higher efficiency of the government and better life of the public
D．for wider communications among colonial nations
1．B．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在第2段的第2，3句。根據(jù)這兩句的內(nèi)容可以推斷出在文章中提到的7個(gè)英語(yǔ)國(guó)家里，人們所說的英語(yǔ)都屬于標(biāo)準(zhǔn)變體，因此選項(xiàng)B正確。
2．C．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在笫2段的第2句和第4段第l句。可以通過這兩句話的內(nèi)容推斷出選項(xiàng)C(在就美國(guó)文化進(jìn)行討論的國(guó)際會(huì)議上用作官方語(yǔ)言)正確。第4段第l句話表明選項(xiàng)A是不全面的，第2段第2句表明選項(xiàng)B是錯(cuò)誤的，選項(xiàng)D關(guān)于cultural and historical studies of all countries(對(duì)所有的國(guó)家進(jìn)行文化和歷史研究)的信息在文章中沒有出現(xiàn)。
3．A．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在第3段最后一句。問題句中的wonderin9是句中difficult to define and still more difficuIt to assess的同義轉(zhuǎn)換，所以答案就是第3段最后一句的后半句，選項(xiàng)A中的makes up與constitutes同義，為正確答案。
4．B．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在第4段倒數(shù)第2句。These回指第4段倒數(shù)第2句中的“developing countries，especiallv former British colonies(發(fā)展中國(guó)家，尤其是英國(guó)以前的殖民地)”，對(duì)比四個(gè)選項(xiàng)不難發(fā)現(xiàn)選項(xiàng)B是該說法的同義替換。
5．A．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句是文章最后一句。選項(xiàng)A是對(duì)文章最后一句的全面概括，所以是正確答案。
The English language evolved from a set of West Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles，Saxons，and，who atrived from the Continent in the 5th Century．The emergence of English as a language of Wales results from the ineorpo．
ration of Wales into England．Following a change in vowel pronunciation that marks the transition of English from the medieval to the Renaissance period，the language of the Chancery and Caxton became Early Modern English(the language of Shakespeare’s day)and with relatively moderate changes eventuaily developed into the English language of today．
The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated to have been about five million．Today it is estimated that sorne 260 million people speak it as a native language，mainly in the United States，Canada，Great Brit．a(chǎn)in，Ireland，South Africa，Australia and New Zealand．In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas，there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language，as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms．
his virtually impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to theil‘own language．The purposes for which English is leamed and the situations in， which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to define and still more difficuIt to assess what constitutes an adequate working knowledge for each situation．
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present—day importance as a world language． Besides serving the infinite needs of its native speakers，English is a language in which some of the most important works in science，technology，and other field are being produced，and not always by native speakers． It is widelv used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications，international conferences，and the dissemination(傳播)of information over the radio and television networks of many nations．It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries，especially former British colonies． Many of these eountries have muhillngual populations，and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government，commellce industry．law and education as well as for international communication and for access to the scientific and teehnological development in the west．
1．There are about 260 million people who can speak_____．
A．English in its regional variety B．English in its standard varietv
C．English as a second language D．English as a working language
2．According to this passage，the English language might be used
A．for only one reason that English is becoming an international language
B．mainly by people from the American continent and the European continent
C． as an official language in an international conference on the American cuIture
D．in science and technology as well as in cultural and historical studies of all countries．
3．The author seems to be wondering_____．
A．what makes up one’s adequate working knowledge of English
B．why English can serve so many needs of various peeple
C．how to relate the technological problems in airport eonlmunications
D．when English became so widely used
4．“these countries”(Line7，para3)most probably refers to_____．
A．the developing countries which used to be colonies
B．the folraer British colonies which now are developing
C．the colonized countries which become as strong as Britain
D．the developing countries which are still colonized bv Britain
5．A common language is necessary for some multi—lingual countries
A．for both internal and international communication
B．for access to the development in other countries
C．for higher efficiency of the government and better life of the public
D．for wider communications among colonial nations
1．B．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在第2段的第2，3句。根據(jù)這兩句的內(nèi)容可以推斷出在文章中提到的7個(gè)英語(yǔ)國(guó)家里，人們所說的英語(yǔ)都屬于標(biāo)準(zhǔn)變體，因此選項(xiàng)B正確。
2．C．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在笫2段的第2句和第4段第l句。可以通過這兩句話的內(nèi)容推斷出選項(xiàng)C(在就美國(guó)文化進(jìn)行討論的國(guó)際會(huì)議上用作官方語(yǔ)言)正確。第4段第l句話表明選項(xiàng)A是不全面的，第2段第2句表明選項(xiàng)B是錯(cuò)誤的，選項(xiàng)D關(guān)于cultural and historical studies of all countries(對(duì)所有的國(guó)家進(jìn)行文化和歷史研究)的信息在文章中沒有出現(xiàn)。
3．A．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在第3段最后一句。問題句中的wonderin9是句中difficult to define and still more difficuIt to assess的同義轉(zhuǎn)換，所以答案就是第3段最后一句的后半句，選項(xiàng)A中的makes up與constitutes同義，為正確答案。
4．B．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句在第4段倒數(shù)第2句。These回指第4段倒數(shù)第2句中的“developing countries，especiallv former British colonies(發(fā)展中國(guó)家，尤其是英國(guó)以前的殖民地)”，對(duì)比四個(gè)選項(xiàng)不難發(fā)現(xiàn)選項(xiàng)B是該說法的同義替換。
5．A．與問題相關(guān)的語(yǔ)句是文章最后一句。選項(xiàng)A是對(duì)文章最后一句的全面概括，所以是正確答案。