Passage One

　　You still don’t know what to do this summer ? Well here’s your chance to win a one-week language course in Kent, England ! Free Fun and ETC (English Travel Connections) are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour’s drive from London and close to the sea resort of Herne Bay. It is also the home town of one of England’s most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle. It was built in the 11 th century and rebuilt during the 14 th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13 th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honor of Dickens himself.

　　The trip to England includes:

　　• travel by train to and from any railway station in Germany

　　• room and full board with a guest family for one week

　　• language course in small groups

　　• two trips to London

　　• large choice of sports and entertainment

　　Interested ? All you have to do is to answer the following question:When was Charles Dickens born ?

　　So, take the chance and send your answer by 1 May to :Free Fun “Rochester” e-mail:free4fun@netlight.com.

　　The two winners will be contacted directly before 5 May. Good luck !

　　26.What will the winner win according to the passage ?

　　27.Where is Charles Dickens’ home ?

　　28.What does the candidate have to know if he/she wants to win the prize ?

　　Passage Two

　　For many years now we have been referring to English as a gobal language, as the language of communication and technology, because it is used as a means of communication between, for example, a German scientist and an Italian politician.

　　Very soon English will be the second language of all the people in the world. This is happening while I am speaking to you . English will be a compulsory subject on every school curriculum throughout the world.

　　And what exactly does all of this mean for native speakers of English? Well , we are already in a minority. The widely used English won’t be British English or American English. It’ll be Majority English in the future. As more and more people speak English, it makes sense that they will become more competent. They will start to control more of the English resources being produced and to have a say in what should or shouldn’t be included in dictionaries and language books. This might seem far fetched but it is already starting to happen.

　　So native English speakers will be no longer competitive, since we will be the only people in the world who speak just one language. Because, there won’t be much of a reason for native English speakers to learn a second lauguage.

　　All of you native English speakers out there, whether you’re planning to visit Eastern Europe or the Himalayas, one thing you won’t have to worry about is the language !