Question

English is currently one of the most widely spoken and written languages worldwide, with some 380 million native speakers, who live in the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries. It is spoken as an official language or second language in countries such as India and Nigeria. In these countries, English is the language of the government, newspapers, radios and TV stations. Besides, it is one of the working languages of the UN as well.

And there are some other facts about English you might be interested in knowing.

Over 700 million people, speak English, as a foreign language.

Did you know that of all the world's languages (over 2,700), English is the richest in vocabulary; and that the Oxford English Dictionary lists about 500,000 words,

Five of the largest broadcasting companies in the world (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC and CBC) broadcast in English, reaching millions and millions of people all over the world.

It is said that over 90 percent of Internet web pages and over 80 per cent of the world’s emails are in English.

As a foreign language, it is learnt in almost all non- English speaking countries. In China, for example, it is not just students who learn English, but also many adults.

Although there are some differences between the English spoken in different countries, people from these countries usually have no problems communicating with each other.

English is one of the most widely    1.    languages.
Facts	Detailed information
English-speaking countries	The UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa…
Official or working language	India, Nigeria and      2.
Widespread use	On the radio, on the web page, and in     3.
4.	With 500,000 words in Oxford English Dictionary
Conclusion	Despite the    5.    that exist, people have no difficulty in communicating.

Answer

1.Spoken and Written

2.the UN

3.emails

4.(the richest) vocabulary

5.differences

【解析】

试题分析: 本文是一篇说明文，介绍了英语语言的一些情况。无论在书面语还是口语方面，英语都是目前世界上使用最广泛的语言之一。除了在英国，美国，澳大利亚等国家，英语作为母语被使用以外，英语还是联合国的工作语言之一。

1.信息查找题。根据文章首句English is currently one of the most widely spoken and written languages worldwide可知英语的口语和书面语使用最为广泛，填Spoken and Written。

2.信息查找题。 根据第一段的末句 Besides, it is one of the working languages of the UN as well. 可知除了印度等国家外，英语也是联合国的工作语言之一，填the UN。

3.信息查找题。从文章第六段内容 It is said that over 90 percent of Internet web pages and over 80 per cent of the world’s emails are in English.可知英语在广播，网页和电子邮件中被广泛使用，填emails。

4.信息查找题。根据文章第四段内容English is the richest in vocabulary; and that the Oxford English Dictionary lists about 500,000 words,可知英语的词汇也非常丰富，牛津字典中收集了大约500,000单词，故答案填(the richest) vocabulary。

5.信息查找题。由文章末段Although there are some differences between the English spoken in different countries可知尽管不同国家的语言存在差异，人们还是能够彼此理解的，填differences。

考点：考查任务型阅读。