Use one of the words or word-combinations from the box to fill each gap

1. Foreign languages are important for the development of …… contacts.

2. English is spoken as the ……. in Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

3. English is the ….. language of some 400 mln. people. But another 400 mln. people speak English as a …… language.

4. The travel and …….. language of the international airwaves is English.

5. More than 80 percent of all the ……. stored in more than 100mln computers around the word is in English.

6. Today about 90% of all …… are published first in English.

7. English is replacing the …….. European languages of centuries past, for example, French as the language of diplomacy.

8. Now English is the official language of international aid …… such as Oxtam and Save the Children as well as of UNESCO, NATO and the UN.

4. Find proofs in the text that:

1. English has become a lingua franca and one of the main languages of international communication.

2. Estimates of English speaker numbers are variable.

3. English pilgrims brought with them not only religions beliefs and colonization but also their language to America.

4. The British Empire imposed English as the language of administration and control in different parts of the world.

5. The spread of commerce is a major factor in the spread of English.

6. English plays a great role in tourism, air and sea travel communication.

7. English is a dominant language in information exchange and popular culture.