PART 1 – READING COMPREHENSION

Read the following text carefully and do the tasks that follow it.

Why can’t everyone just speak English?

The concept of a Lingua Franca has been around a long time. Since the Roman Empire, languages such
as Latin, French and Spanish have all taken their turn to dominate global commerce. Today, it is English that is
usually chosen as the “bridge language” in business and politics. It is thanks largely to the dominance of former
British colonies that English is so widely spread.
The foreigner’s attitude to English is apparent within minutes in many non-English-speaking countries.
While young Brits rush to drop languages at school, youngsters from countries such as Germany and Sweden
spend as many school hours learning English as they do their mother tongue. Many students dedicate
considerable time and energy to learning English, often seeing it as vital if they are to succeed in their chosen
profession.
Thanks to its global dominance in media, film and music, English is considered fashionable. English is
also dominant in technology, with a huge 56% of worldwide Internet content written in English. Most
languages don’t even bother to coin terms for things like “the Internet” or “text” or “hashtag.”
Due to the global understanding that learning English is essential, the vast majority of native
Anglophones are able to ignore foreign languages altogether. Luckily, most foreigners do appreciate the current
value of English – but how long will this last?
Just as previous Lingua Francas have faded away to give another language its turn, it is unlikely that
English will stick around forever. Some people have suggested that we should adopt an official universal
language to facilitate international communication. But as I see it, choosing an existing language to use globally
would be close to impossible and the creation – not to mention the learning – of a whole new language would
require an incredible amount of time and effort. Moreover, would speakers of over 6500 languages worldwide
really agree to abandon their language which many people link closely to their national identity? I don’t think
so.
  Perhaps a new Lingua Franca will soon develop (Mandarin? Hindi? Portuguese?) and Anglophones
worldwide will be forced out of their linguistic ignorance. Only time will tell!
In: https://tmiparis.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/why-cant-everyone-just-speak-english (adapted and abridged)

A. Choose the correct option.

The author of the text suggests that the English language …
1. is more important than other languages;
2. should be the official universal language of communication;
3. will eventually lose dominance in the world;
4. will probably wash away other languages.
B. Explain what “lingua franca” means.
C. True (T) or False (F)? Quote from the text to justify all your answers.
1., English has always been the dominant language in international communication.
2. English gained its global status mainly due to the power of the British Empire.
3. Many young people consider learning English to be essential for their future career.
4. The dominance of English in the entertainment industry has made it very popular.
5. English will certainly maintain its power and influence in the future.
D. Complete the following sentence meaningfully.
According to the author of the text, it would take an incredible amount of time and effort to …
E. Answer the following questions.
1. Why would most people disagree with the idea of a universal language?
 2. What is meant by Anglophones’ (…) linguistic ignorance? (last paragraph)
F. Identify the phrasal verb in the 5th paragraph which means “to disappear slowly”.
G. Consider the following sentence from the text.
Most languages don’t even bother to coin terms for things like “the Internet” or “text” or “hashtag.” (10
points)
1. identify the part of speech of the word coin.
2. supply a synonym.

PART 2 – LANGUAGE

A. DOUBLE COMPARATIVES - Complete / rephrase the following sentences.

1. She feels confident because she practises the language more. The …
2. Studying abroad isn’t so expensive anymore. Studying abroad is getting … and ... .
3. It’s very easy to find a place to study abroad nowadays. It’s getting … and ... .
4. She stayed in England for a long time and her English got better. The ...

B. PARTS OF SPEECH - Change the words in brackets by adding a suffix.

Because I speak French, Dutch and English (1. fluent) I have decided to study abroad this summer. I made this
(2. decide) a few months ago and since then I have been planning this short experience well, so that every day
will be a (3. wonder) adventure – of new foods, new friends, and (4. travel).
I have been in France for two weeks now and my language skills have seen great (5. improve). Studying here
has also taught me a lot about (6. independent), understanding and the (7. important) of friendships. So I (8.
strong) encourage other students to embark on this great learning opportunity – it’s really a (9. price)
experience and I hope you will be just as (10. excite) to be part of it as I was

PART 3 – WRITING

In about 200 words, comment on the following. Express your personal opinion on the subject.

“Everyone should speak the same language. English, being a global language, could serve that purpose.”

KEY
PART 1
A. 3.
B. It’s a language that is used as a common language of communication between speakers whose native
languages are different.
C.
1. F - Since the Roman Empire, languages such as Latin, French and Spanish have all taken their turn to
dominate global commerce.
2. T - It is thanks largely to the dominance of former British colonies that English is so widely spread.
3. T Many students dedicate considerable time and energy to learning English, often seeing it as vital if they are
to succeed in their chosen profession.
4. T - Thanks to its global dominance in media, film and music, English is considered fashionable.
5. F – (Just as previous Lingua Francas have faded away to give another language its turn,) it is unlikely that
English will stick around forever.
D.… create and learn a (whole) new language.
E.
1. Most people would disagree with this idea because it would mean to give up their national language and
ultimately their identity.
2. It means that native English speakers do not speak a foreign language.
F. fade away
G. 1. verb
2. invent / create

PART 2
A.
1. The more she practises the language, the more confident she feels.
2. Studying abroad is getting cheaper and cheaper/ less and less expensive.
3. It’s getting easier and easier to find a place to study abroad nowadays
4. The longer she stayed in England, the better her English got.
B. 1. fluently 2. decision 3. wonderful 4. travelling 5. improvement 6. independence 7.importance
8. strongly 9. priceless 10. excited