Đọc hiểu Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language

Bài đọc hiểu Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language⁽¹⁾ of few speakers to become the dominant⁽²⁾ language of international⁽³⁾ communication⁽⁴⁾. English as we know it today emerged⁽⁵⁾ around 1350, after having incorporated⁽⁶⁾ many elements⁽⁷⁾ of French that were introduced⁽⁸⁾ following the Norman invasion⁽⁹⁾ of 1066. Until the 1600s, English was, for the most part, spoken only in England and had not extended⁽¹⁰⁾ even as far as Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. However, during the course⁽¹¹⁾ of the next two centuries, English began to spread⁽¹²⁾ around the globe⁽¹³⁾ as a result of exploration⁽¹⁴⁾, trade (including⁽¹⁵⁾ slave trade), colonization⁽¹⁶⁾, and missionary⁽¹⁷⁾ work. Thus, small enclaves of English speakers became established⁽¹⁸⁾ and grew in various parts of the world. As these communities proliferated⁽¹⁹⁾, English gradually became the primary language of international business, banking, and diplomacy⁽²⁰⁾.

Currently, about 80 percent of the information stored on computer systems worldwide⁽²¹⁾ is in English. Two-thirds of the world’s science writing is in English, and English is the main language of technology, advertising⁽²²⁾, media, international airports, and air traffic controllers. Today there are more than 700 million English users in the world, and over half of these are nonnative⁽²³⁾ speakers, constituting⁽²⁴⁾ the largest number of nonnative users than any other language in the world. 

Vocabulary

(1) language: ngôn ngữ

(2) dominant: có ưu thế

(3) international: Quốc tế

(4) communication: liên lạc

(5) emerged: nổi lên

(6) incorporated: kết hợp

(7) elements: các yếu tố

(8) introduced: giới thiệu

(9) invasion: cuộc xâm lăng

(10) extended: mở rộng

(11) course: khóa học

(12) spread: Lan tràn

(13) globe: quả địa cầu

(14) exploration: thăm dò

(15) including: bao gồm

(16) colonization: thuộc địa hóa

(17) missionary: nhà truyền giáo

(18) established: thành lập

(19) proliferated: sinh sôi nảy nở

(20) diplomacy: ngoại giao

(21) worldwide: trên toàn thế giới

(22) advertising: quảng cáo

(23) nonnative: không tự nhiên

Câu hỏi và đáp án bài đọc hiểu Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language

Question 1: What is the main topic of the passage?

A. The number of non-native users of English

B. The French influence on the English language

C. The expansion of English as an international language

D. The use of English for science and technology

Đáp án: C. The expansion of English as an international language

Giải thích: Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language of few speakers to become the dominant language of international communication

Question 2: In the first paragraph, the word “emerged” is closest in meaning to.

A. appeared

B. hailed

C. frequented

D. engaged

Đáp án: A. appeared

Giải thích: English as we know it today emerged around 1350 (Tiếng Anh như chúng ta biết ngày nay xuất hiện vào khoảng năm 1350)

→ Emerged = appeared: Xuất hiện

Question 3: In the first paragraph, the word “elements” is closest in meaning to.

A. declaration

B. features

C. curiosities

D. customs

Đáp án: B. features

Giải thích: after having incorporated many elements of French that were introduced following the Norman invasion of 1066 (sau khi kết hợp nhiều yếu tổ của tiếng Pháp được đưa vào sau cuộc xâm lược Norman vào năm 1066)

→ Elements = features: Cuộc xâm lấn

Question 4: Approximately when did English begin to be used beyond England?

A. In 1066

B. around 1350

C. before 1600

D. after 1600

Đáp án: D. after 1600

Giải thích: Until the 1600s, English was, for the most part, spoken only in England and had not extended even as far as Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. However, during the course of the next two centuries, English began to spread around the globe…

Question 5: According to the passage, all of the following contributed to the spread of English around the world except.

A. the slave trade

B. the Norman invasion

C. missionaries

D. colonization

Đáp án: B. the Norman invasion

Giải thích: However, during the course of the next two centuries, English began to spread around the globe as a result of exploration, trade (including slave trade), colonization, and missionary work.

Question 6: In the second paragraph, the word “stored” is closest in meaning to.

A. bought

B. saved

C. spent

D. valued

Đáp án: B. saved

Giải thích: Currently, about 80 percent of the information stored on computer systems worldwide is in English. (Hiện tại, khoáng 80% thông tin được lưu trữ trên hệ thống máy tính toàn thể giới là tiếng Anh.)

→ stored = saved (lưu trữ)

Question 7: According to the passage, approximately how many non-native users of English are there in the world today?

A. a quarter million

B. half a million

C. 350 million

D. 700 million

Đáp án: C. 350 million

Giải thích: Today there are more than 700 million English users in the world, and over half of these are nonnative speakers, constituting the largest number of nonnative users than any other language in the world.