The English Language
English is the main language spoken in Britain and is also one of the most widely used in the world. Today, about 350 million people speak English as a mother tongue, with about the same number using it as a second language, and about the same number again using it with reasonable competence as a foreign language. By the year 2000, it is estimated that over one billion people will be learnling English.
Now over two third of the world's scientists read in English. Three quarters of the world's mail is written in English. 80% of the world's electronically stored information is in English. Of the estimated 40 million users of the Internet, the majority communicate in English. English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control, international business and academic conferences, science, technology, diplomacy, sport, international competition, pop music and advertising.
英语是主要语言在英国和也是一个最在世界范围内广泛使用。现在,大约3.5亿人以英语作为母语,有相同数目的使用它作为第二语言,有相同数目的再次使用它与合理的能力作为外语。到2000年,据估计有十亿人会learnling英语。
现在两个第三世界的科学家们读英语。三个季度的世界是用英文写的邮件。世界上的电子储存的信息是用英文写的。据估计约有4000万人使用互联网,大多数以英语沟通。英语是主要语言的书籍、报纸、机场和空中交通管制,国际商务和学术会议、科学、技术、外交、运动、国际竞争、流行音乐和广告
main [mein] adj. 主要的,最重要的;全力的 n. 主要部分,要点;体力;总管道
mother tongue 母语;本国语言
reasonable ['ri:zənəbl] adj. 合理的,公道的;通情达理的
competence ['kɔmpitəns] n. 能力,胜任;权限;作证能力;足以过舒适生活的收入
estimated ['estimetid] adj. 估计的;预计的;估算的
three quarters 四分之三
mail [meil] n. 邮件;邮政,邮递;盔甲 vt. 邮寄;给穿盔甲 vi. 邮寄;寄出
electronically [i,lek'trɔnikli] adv. 电子地
store information 储存信息;商店信息
the majority n. 大多数
communicate in 用...语言沟通
Airports n. 机场;航空港(airport的复数形式)
traffic control 交通管理
academic conference 学术会议
diplomacy [di'pləuməsi] n. 外交;外交手腕;交际手段
competition [,kɔmpi'tiʃən] n. 竞争;比赛,竞赛
pop [pɔp] n. 流行音乐;汽水;砰然声;枪击 adj. 流行的;通俗的;热门的
vt. 取出;开枪打;抛出;突然伸出;突然行动 adv. 突然;砰地
advertising ['ædvətaiziŋ] n. 广告;广告业;登广告 adj. 广告的;广告业的
v. 公告;为做广告(advertise的ing形式)