首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
自考
How did English Become a Global Language? (1)The rise of English is a remarkable tale as Professor David Crystal reminds us
How did English Become a Global Language? (1)The rise of English is a remarkable tale as Professor David Crystal reminds us
admin
2013-09-17
60
问题
How did English Become a Global Language?
(1)The rise of English is a remarkable tale as Professor David Crystal reminds us in his attractive book.
(2)When Julius Caesar landed in Britain more than 2, 000 years ago, English did not exist. Five hundred years later, English, virtually incomprehensible to modern eras, was probably spoken by about as few people as currently speak Cherokee, the language of a small North American Indian tribe—and with little influence. About 1, 000 years later, at the end of the 16th century, and after the Norman Conquest, the Reformation and the arrival of commercial printing technology, English was the native speech of between 5 million and 7 million people. And yet now look at it. As the second millennium approaches, English is more widely scattered, more widely spoken and written than any other language has ever been. In the title of the book, it has become a truly global language. According to Crystal, about 2.09 billion people, well over one-third of the world’ s population are routinely exposed to it.
(3)As he rightly points out, what is impressive about this staggering figure is:" Not so much the grand total but the speed with which expansion has taken place since the 1950s. In 1950, the case for English as a world language would have been no more than plausible. Fifty years on and the case is virtually won. "
(4)So what happened?
(5)Someone once said that a language is a dialect with an army and a navy. In other words, when the British navy set out to conquer the world, is set out an "army" of English speakers. As the British Empire spread throughout the world, English became the basis of law, commerce and education. The British Empire was succeeded by another(the American), which shared virtually the same linguistic heritage. American English, which has become the rocket-fuel of the English language, has magically found its way into areas undreamed of 40, let alone 400 years ago.
(6)The most valuable part of Crystal’ s study is the section devoted to a speedy analysis of the cultural basis of this global reach, notably the influence of broadcasting, press, advertising, popular music and film. He is also up-to-date and informative in his identification of the World-Wide-Web as a powerful enhancer of American cultural and linguistic dominance.
(7)What does the future hold? To this question, Crystal proposes the recognition of a new form of English—WSSE(World Standard Spoken English)—which almost by definition rules out the possibility that English would fragment into mutually unintelligible language as Latin once did. "English, in some shape or form, will find itself in the service of the world community forever, " Crystal writes.
A. The Future of English
B. The Speed of the Spread of English
C. The Role Played by Culture and the Net
D. The Role Played by Military Expansion
E. The Role Played by Education
F. The 2, 000 Years of English
Paragraph(3):
选项
答案
B
解析
本段比较短小,很容易提取出关键的句子信息。从As he rightly points out,what isimpressive about this staggering figure is:“Not so much the grand total but the speed with which ex—pansion has taken place since the 1950s.”中可以找到“speed”。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/X4AR777K
本试题收录于:
英语(二)题库公共课分类
0
英语(二)
公共课
相关试题推荐
ItisthefirsttimeI______(talk)withnativespeakersinEnglish.
Everyoneagreesthatchildren’slanguagelearningbeginswithlistening.However,individualchildrenvarygreatlyintheamount
Sofarscientistshaveonlyacquired______understandingofthephysicalprocessesthatcauseearthquakes.
Thethreatofaglobaloutbreak(疾病大爆发)ofbirdflumakesiturgentfortheinternationalcommunitytocooperateeffectively.Weal
BytheTreatyofParisof1763,whichendedthewarwiththeFrenchandtheIndians,EnglandgainedpossessionofCanadaandall
Itisnoteasytodecidewhetherareportistrueornot.OnereportofanunidentifiedobjectcamefromaBritishaeroplaneon
TheelectromagnetwasinventedinEnglandbyWilliamSturgeon,whotookanironrodandbentitintotheshapeofahorseshoe.Thi
ThereportcametotheBritishonMay21,1941.TheGermanbattleshipBismarck,themostpowerfulwarshipintheworld,wasmovi
GPSChildLocatorLetsParentsKnowTheirWhereaboutsChildrenmaynotlikeitbutaBritishtechnologyfirmhasinventedan
随机试题
日节律
维生素C制剂色泽变黄后
A.氯化琥珀胆碱B.硝酸毛果芸香碱C.硫酸阿托品D.碘解磷定E.溴新斯的明盐酸异丙肾上腺素
属于《医疗机构制剂注册管理办法》许可事项变更的是()。
关于工程合同变更,以下说法正确的是()。
杨林同学是某中职学校的应届毕业生,在校园双选会上,他同时接到五家单位的招聘意向,面对多种选择,他举棋不定。这种冲突是()
我国《物权法》第6条规定:“不动产物权的设立、变更、转让和消灭,应当依照法律规定登记。动产物权的设立和转让,应当依照法律规定交付。”请分析:该条款规定的是何原则?该原则有何法律效力?
E1和CE1的主要区别是什么?解释配置中画线部分内容含义。
Britain’seastmidlandswereoncethepictureofEnglishcountryside,alivewithflocks,shepherds,skylarksandbuttercups—the
______(如果没有脚和地面之间的磨擦),peoplewouldinnowaybeabletowalk.
最新回复
(
0
)