Question

根据课文内容，填入适当形式的单词。

At the end of the 16th century, about five to seven million people 1. ( speak) English. Later in the next century, people from England made voyages to conquer other parts of the world and because  2. that, English began to 3. (speak) in many other countries. Today, more people speak English as their first, second or foreign language than ever before.

Native English speakers can understand each other even 4. they don’t speak the same kind of English. Look at this example:

British Betty: Would you like to see my 5.?

American Amy: Yes, I’d like to come up to your apartment.

So why has English changed 6. time? Actually all languages change and develop 7. cultures meet and communicate with each other. At first the English 8.(speak) in England between about AD 450 and 1150 was very different from the English spoken today. It was based more 9.German than the English we speak now.

Then gradually  between about AD 800 and 1150, English became less like German because those 10. ruled England spoke first Danish and later French. These new settlers enriched the English language and especially its vocabulary.

Answer

1.spoke

2.of

3.be spoken

4.if

5.flat

6.over

7.when

8.spoken

9.on

10.who

【解析】

本文是说明文。介绍了英语逐步发展的过程，每个时期的特点及其原因。

1.考查动词时态。句意：在16世纪末，大约有500万到700万人讲英语。根据时间状语At the end of the 16th century可知用一般过去时，故填spoke。

2.考查固定短语。句意：在随后的下一个世纪，英国人航海征服世界其他地方，因为这一原因，英语开始在许多其他国家被说。表示原因时，because引导句子，此处后面是词语that，应该用because of，故填of。

3.考查不定式的被动。句中“开始做某事”是begin to do，用不定式结构。又主语English和动词speak是被动关系，故用不定式的被动形式to be done，故填be spoken。

4.考查连词。句意：即使他们说的不是同一种英语，以英语为母语的人也能相互理解。“即使”是固定短语even if，故填if。

5.考查名词。此处讲述的是，即使说的不是同一种英语，以英语为母语的人也能相互理解的例子，在英国英语中，和美国英语中apartment相同意思的词是flat，故填flat。

6.考查固定短语。句意：那么为什么英语会随着时间的推移而改变呢?表示“随时间推移”是固定短语over time，故填over。

7.考查连词。句意：事实上，当不同的文化相互交流时，所有的语言都在变化和发展。此处引导时间状语从句，表示“当……时候”，故填when。

8.考查过去分词。句意：起初，英国人在公元450年到1150年期间所说的英语与今天所说的英语大不相同。句中已有动词was，此处用非谓语，English和speak是被动关系，用过去分词作后置定语，故填spoken。

9.考查动词短语。句意：它的基础是德语，而不是我们现在说的英语。“以…为基础”是be based on，故填on。

10.考查定语从句。句意：然后在公元800年到1150年间，英语逐渐地变得不那么像德语了，因为那些统治英国的统治者先是说丹麦语，后来又说法语。句中包含定语从句，先行词是代词those指人，在定语从句中做主语，只能用关系代词who引导，故填who。