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  3. The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that

The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that

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问题     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 speak it as a native language. Mainly in the United States, Canada, the Great Britain, Ireland, south African, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the varieties of English found in these areas, there are great many regional and social varieties of language, as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
    It is virtually possible to estimate the number of people in the world who acquired adequate work knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for which English is learned and the situation in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to define and still more difficult 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 fields are produced and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purpose as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread information over the radio and television networks of many nations for the number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multi-lingual populations and need a language for internal communication as well as for international communication and for access to the scientific and technological development in the west.
According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?
选项 A、It serves the needs of its native speakers.
B、It was popular in Shakespeare’s time.
C、It is used in former British colonies.
D、It is a world language used for international communication.
答案D
解析 本题为推理题。参阅文章第3段第1句：“The main reason…a world language．”(英语在目前是作为一种重要的世界语言，可以推出英语是一种国际交流的世界语。)
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