English in the Third Millennium

Two thousand years ago English did not exist. A thousand years ago it was a language used by less than two million people. Now it is the most influential language in the world, spoken by more than a billion people on the planet as their first, second or third language. English currently dominates science, business, the mass media and popular culture. For example, 80 per cent of e-mails on the Internet are in English. But where will English be at the end of the third millennium?

One view is that English is going to become even more important as a global lingua franca, dominating the world’s trade and media while most other languages will become localizes or just die out. At present, over half of the world’s 6, 500 languages are in danger of extinction. Another view is that English is already breaking up, as Latin did, into several separate languages. There are already dictionaries of the “New Englishes”, such as Australian English, full of words that a British English speaker would not recognize.

Hopefully, neither of these things will happen. Although different varieties of English will continue to develop around the world, Standard English will survive for international communication. In addition, the frightening prospect of a culturally uniform world totally dominated by one language is impossible. Already, other languages are fighting back against the iron grip of English on the Net. Governments around the world are also starting to protect smaller languages and recognize the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity. English will probably stay in control for a long time, at least while the USA remains the top superpower, but it definitely won’t become the only language in the world.

2. Дайте відповідь на запитання:

1) How long is the history of English?

2) What is the most influential language in the world?

3) What is the future English forecast?

4) How many people speak English as their first, second or third languages?

3.Заповніть пропуски відповідною формою дієслова to be: am, is або are. Перекладіть речення на українську мову:

1) His father … a lawyer.

2) Where … the Dnieper? It …in Ukraine.

3) Where …the children? They …in the yard.

4) What colour …the walls of your room?

5) How ….my dinner? I …very hungry!

4.Перекладіть речення українською мовою. Пам’ятайте про те, що в сталих виразах дієслово to have втрачає своє основне значення «мати (щось)»:

1) Rita has got a comfortable room.

2) She has a bath every evening.

3) Mum! We have got a lot of coffee in this box.

4)Max’s Granny always has a cup of coffee for breakfast.

5) We never have quarrels.

5.Заповніть пропуски одним із поданих у дужках дієслів. Перекладіть речення українською мовою:

1) … (do, is, does) it snow or rain in your town in winter?

2) My Granny …(bakes, will bake, baked) her famous pies on Sundays.

3) The result of our test … (was, were) not bad.

4) My dog … (were, was) very little last year. It often … (bark, barked, will bark) at cats and cars.

5)I …(will, shall) try to study better next semester.

6.Перекладіть наступні речення:

1) У мого друга є новий спортивний велосипед.

2) У кого є принтер,

3) Він гарно грає в футбол,

4)Ми зустріли їх на концерті вчора ввечері

5) Думаю, вона їх не образить.

7.. Оберіть правильну відповідь:

1) There’s no doubt that that computers have … our lives easier.

A) done

B) got

C)become

D) made

2) You’ll be here tomorrow, …?

A) isn’t it

B) won’t you

C) will you

D) will you be

3) Our daughter is good … foreign languages.

A) with

B) for

C) in

D) at

4) Could you give me …, please?

A) a piece of advice

B) an advice

C) a advice

D) some advices

5) Do you mind …?

A) my smoking

B) me smoke

C) I smoke

D) to smoke

6) There isn’t a cloud in the sky. Yesterday it wasn’t cloudy ….

A) too

B) neither

C) also

D) either