The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, 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.

  In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms 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 indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread 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 countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.

Reading Comprehension:

　　1. What would be the best title for this passage?

　　A. The Difficulties of Learning English

　　B. International Communications

　　C. The Standard Varieties of English

　　D. English as a World Language

　　2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

　　A. Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.

　　B. There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.

　　C. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.

　　D. People learn English for a variety of reasons.

　　3. According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?

　　A. It was popular during Shakespeare’s time.

　　B. It is used in former British colonies.

　　C. It serves the needs of its native speakers.

　　D. It is a world language that is used for international communication.

　　4. What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?

　　A. The ability to read a newspaper.

　　B. It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.

　　C. Being a multilingual.

　　D. Being a native speaker.

　　5. What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?

　　A. Those geographically close to the United States.

　　B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.

　　C. Former colonies of Great Britain.

　　D. Countries where international conferences are held.

Background Information:

英语语言的历史发展可以分为三个阶段，分别是：古英语（Old English），中世纪英语（Middle English）和现代英语（Modern English）。

古英语（449--1100）。有记载的英语语言起始于449年，和现代英语相比，古英语中的外来词很少，但派生词缀较多。

中世纪英语（1100――1500）。1066年的诺曼底征服事件在英语语言发展史上是一个标志性的转折点。中世纪英语的语音变化较少，但句法上已经形成了固定的词序，并且扩展了情态动词、助词结构。不规则动词越来越少，很多不规则动词的过去式和过去分词也趋向规则化。

现代英语（1500――至今）。为体现英语语言的威望，文艺复兴时期（Renaissance）有更多的拉丁和希腊词汇加入英语，象congratulate, democracy, education等来自拉丁语；catastrophe, encyclopedia, thermometer 来自希腊语。一些现代希腊语、拉丁语中的科技用语如aspirin, vaccinate也被当作英语使用。另外，一些外来语（如criterion, focus）仍保留了原来词语的复数形式。还有一些更保留了当时的拼写和发音。

Vocabulary:

Adequate   足够的

Estimated   估计

Key:

　　1.D。主旨题。根据第3段第1句及全文的内容：英语在各个国家的各个领域的应用，可推知此题的答案为 D。

　　2.A。细节题。根据文章第1段中第2句及第2段的第1句的描述可推知此题的答案为A。

　　3.D。推断题。根据文章最后一段的描述，英语在世界不同领域、不同的地区的使用，可推知此题的答案为 D。

　　4.B。细节题。根据文章第2段最后一句可推知此题答案为B。

　　5.C。细节题。根据文章最后一段倒数第2句可推知此题答案为C。