English is an important language in the world. More than 400 million people speak English as their mother tongue. Another 400 million speak it as a second language. No one knows how many people speak it as a foreign language. Chinese is the language with more speakers than English, but it is only the language for more than one billion Chinese people. English is the official language on 20% of the land area in the world. It is spoken in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In South Africa and India, it is one of the official languages. In many countries, the textbooks in universities are written in English. More than 75% of the world’s mail is composed in English. More than 60% of the radio stations broadcast programs in English. English is the language of international communication.

1. We  know exactly how many people speak English as a foreign language.                               

2. English is not spoken in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

3. People in South Africa and India never speak English as the official language.

4. More than half of the radio stations broadcast programs in English.

Read the passage again and choose the best answer.

5. The passage is about..................

A. English Language is only a second language in the world

B. English is the official language in the world      

C. Hundreds of books are written in English everyday .

D. The importance of the English Language in  the world today

6. The word “mother tongue” in line 1 means:

  A.  body  language B. first language

  C.  native language              D. foreign language

English is the most important language in the world. More than 400 million people speak English as their mother tongue. Another 400 million speak it as a second language. No one knows how many people speak it as a foreign language. Chinese is the language with more speakers than English, but it is only the language for more than one billion Chinese people. English is the official language on 20% of the land area in the world. It is spoken in North American, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In South Africa and India, it is also one of the official languages. In many countries, the textbooks in universities are written in English. More than 75% of the world’s mai is composed in English. More than 60% of the radio stations broadcast programs in English. English is the language of international communication

A. Decide whether the statements that follow are TRUE or FALSE.
1. China is the most important language.
2. We don’t know how many people speak English as a foreign language.
3. English has more speakers than Chinese.
4. English is spoken in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
B. Circle the best answer to each question.
5. Many people in the world use English as an important ________
A. subject B. language C. country D. source of power
6. In many countries, people use English to _______ textbooks in universities.
A. read B. make C. write D. advertise

A. More than 400 million people speak English as their mother tongue. Another 400

million speak it as a second language. No one knows how many people speak it as a

foreign language. Chinese is the language with more speakers than English, but it is only

the language for more than one billion Chinese people. English is the official language on

one-fifth of the land area in the world. It is spoken in North America, Great Britain,

Australia, and New Zealand. In South Africa and India, it is one of the official languages.

In many countries, the textbooks in universities are written in English. More than three

fourths of the world's mails are composed in English. More than three-fifths of the radio

stations broadcast programs in English. More than half of the scientific and research

journals are in English. English is the language of international communication.

1. Chinese has more speakers than English. __________

2. More than 60 per cent of the world's mails are in English.__________

3. People in North America cannot speak English.

__________

4. There are more than one billion Chinese people.

__________

5. What is the language compulsorily spoken in Canberra, the capital of the Australia?

A. Chinese

B. English

C. Australian

D. American

6. How many people speak English primarily?

A. three-fifth of the world population

B. one-fifth of the world population

C. more than four hundred million people

D. one billion people

Language is considered a significant (31)_________ of communication in international relations. People in modern world have no longer been bound to their own countries. Moreover, in keeping (32)________ with speedy scientific developments nowadays, they must widen their (33)_________ relations with those highly developed nations in other parts of the world, owning to the fact that no one is able to (34)_________ with any natives in the world, it is necessary for people to choose to learn a foreign language as a word-wide common means of communication (35)______ their own mother tongue or native language. That is why English has been chosen by most people to be a foreign language to master. More and more people use English and the number of those who lean English as a foreign language has been increasing so rapidly that it has outnumbered that of any other.

Question 32

A. concerned

B. on

C. informed

D. safe

Language is considered a significant (31)_________ of communication in international relations. People in modern world have no longer been bound to their own countries. Moreover, in keeping (32)________ with speedy scientific developments nowadays, they must widen their (33)_________ relations with those highly developed nations in other parts of the world, owning to the fact that no one is able to (34)_________ with any natives in the world, it is necessary for people to choose to learn a foreign language as a word-wide common means of communication (35)______ their own mother tongue or native language. That is why English has been chosen by most people to be a foreign language to master. More and more people use English and the number of those who lean English as a foreign language has been increasing so rapidly that it has outnumbered that of any other.

Question 35

A. besides

B. additional

C. beside

D. moreover

Language is considered a significant (31)_________ of communication in international relations. People in modern world have no longer been bound to their own countries. Moreover, in keeping (32)________ with speedy scientific developments nowadays, they must widen their (33)_________ relations with those highly developed nations in other parts of the world, owning to the fact that no one is able to (34)_________ with any natives in the world, it is necessary for people to choose to learn a foreign language as a word-wide common means of communication (35)______ their own mother tongue or native language. That is why English has been chosen by most people to be a foreign language to master. More and more people use English and the number of those who lean English as a foreign language has been increasing so rapidly that it has outnumbered that of any other.

Question 33.

A. cooperative

B. conflicting

C. hostile

D. diplomatic

Language is considered a significant (31)_________ of communication in international relations. People in modern world have no longer been bound to their own countries. Moreover, in keeping (32)________ with speedy scientific developments nowadays, they must widen their (33)_________ relations with those highly developed nations in other parts of the world, owning to the fact that no one is able to (34)_________ with any natives in the world, it is necessary for people to choose to learn a foreign language as a word-wide common means of communication (35)______ their own mother tongue or native language. That is why English has been chosen by most people to be a foreign language to master. More and more people use English and the number of those who lean English as a foreign language has been increasing so rapidly that it has outnumbered that of any other.

Question 34.

A. communicate

B. agree

C. deal

D. contact

III. Read the following passage and then answer the questions below it.

In the world today there are 5,000 to 6,000 living languages, of which English is the most widely used. As a mother tongue, it ranks second only to Chinese, which is little used outside China.

English is the most international of languages. It is used as the language of aviation, international sport and pop music. Sixty percent of the world’s radio stations broadcast in English, and more than half of the world’s scientific papers are printed in English.

It is true that a great number of people are involved in the use of English. To people in Africa, Asia, and South America, English is an important foreign language to master. In most countries in the world, the English language is used as the language of business, commerce, and technology. English is now an effective medium of international communication. However, it is the written English which is not systematically phonetic, that causes difficulties to non-native speakers.

1. Which language is used as the language of aviation, international sport and pop music?

__________________________________________________

2. Why is English an important foreign language used in many countries?

__________________________________________________

3. What difficulties may learners of English be confronted with? Why?

__________________________________________________

4. Name three countries in which English is spoken as a first language.

__________________________________________________

5. As a mother tongue, why does English rank second only to Chinese?

__________________________________________________