Interviewer-------- Why is English so important?

David------- Well, English is so important primarily because so many people speak it and use it, so it has now become the lingua franca in the world in a way that we’ve never seen before. We’ve never had a world language of this kind before. So people are learning it not just to be able tocommunicate with native speakers, but also with speakers of other language around world.

Interviewer-------And why has it become that dominant language?

David------I think the reason for that is actually very complicated, although in the twentieth century, we can just see that it’s the rise of the US military and consumer power. I mean the technology, all the big developments in technology largely came from the US. So all of these developments actually were produced within the English language, and people had to learn English in order to understand them, or to benefit from them. The Internet is only one example of that kind. Once a language has got into that position of dominance, it’s actually very different to shift it. So we could be seeing the emergence of other big languages in the world becoming more important than they have been, like Spanish, but it’s unlikely that they’re going to shift the English from its position of dominance.

36. English is important, according to David, __________________________. A). because it has become a world language B). because so many people speak and use it C). because a lot of people are learning it D). because it is the lingua franca

37. English has become the dominant language in the world________________________. A). because it has always been the way B). for a reason that is very complicated C). only in the 20th century D). for no reasons

38. English became the dominant language in the 20th century_________________________. A). in the USA

B). because of the increase in American consumer power

C). because developments in technology came mainly from USA. D). all over the world.

39. People had to learn English______________________.

A). because developments in technology were made by English speakers B). because they needed to understand the new developments in technology C). to use the Internet

D). to speak with native Americans

40. David thinks that__________________________.

A). it will be easy for another language to become dominant B). English will not always be the dominant language

C). it will not be easy for another language to become dominant D). English will be the dominant language