13. English Around the World

The global spread of English over the 40 years has been 1）_____ .It is unparalleled several ways: by the increasing number of users of the language; by its depth of penetration into societies; by its 2）____ of functions.

Worldwide over 1.4 billion people live in countries where English has official 3）_____. One out of five of the world’s population speaks some English. And at present one in five---over one billion people---are learning English. Over 70% of the world’s 4）_____ read English. About 85% of the world’s mail is written in English. And 90%of all information in the world’s 5）____ retrieval systems is stored in English. By 2010, the number of people who speak English as a second or foreign language will 6）___ the number of native speakers. This trendwill certainly 7）_____the language.

English has been an 8）____ language for only 50 years. If the pattern follows the previous language trends, we still have about 100 years before a new language dominates the world. However, this does not mean that English is 9) _____ or will replace other languages as many fear. Instead, it may supplement or co-exist with languages by allowing strangers to 10) _____ across language boundaries. It may become one tool that opens windows to the world, unlocks doors to opportunities, and expands our minds to new ideas.

Notes:

retrieval: possibility of recovery （恢复之可能）

dominate: have control, authority or influence （统治，支配）