Task 1

本刊試題研究中心

Which place has the most fluent non-native English speakers?

If you're reading this story, the chances are that you've got a pretty good command of English.You're not alone—an estimated 1.5 billion people speak English today, making it the most commonly used language in the world. The majority are non-native speakers with English as their second language, while it serves as a third or fourth language for hundreds of millions more. So which place has the most fluent non-native English speakers?

According to a new report by international education company EF Education First, the Netherlands has the best non-native English speakers across the globe. The results of its English Proficiency Index (英語熟練度指標), based on a free online test taken by 2.3 million volunteers, show that the Dutch are the most fluent. Sweden is positioned just below, with a score of 68.74 out of 100, while Norway comes in third with 67.93 points.

Although the areas with “very high proficiency” were largely made up of European countries,Singapore and South Africa also scored highly, coming in fifth and sixth place respectively.

The report also found that English has been the most widely studied second language in the world by far. This may be the reason why just 20% of school students in the United States were studying a foreign language.

EF Education First's poll was measured by testing non-native English speakers in 100 countries and over 400 cities and regions who voluntarily agreed to take the test. But there's one thing that should be noticed. People are more likely to participate in the survey if they can surf the Internet more easily. And this may greatly influence the accuracy (準確性) of the results.

1. Which of the following countries has the most fluent non-native English speakers?

A. Sweden. B. America. C. Singapore. D. The Netherlands.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 4?

A. Americans dislike languages other than English.

B. Americans do not need to learn a second language.

C. Not many Americans would like to learn another language.

D. More and more people are taking English as a second language.

3. How was the survey carried out?

A. By inviting volunteers to participate in the company.

B. By handing out paper surveys in some places.

C. By cooperating with other organizations.

D. By asking volunteers to test online.

4. What's the attitude of the author towards the results of the survey?

A. Positive. B. Objective. C. Doubtful. D. Supportive.