阅读理解。
The English language we know today is about six hundred years old. For half that time, English was
just language of the people living in England. The modem English language grew from about the year
1400. Now English is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is one of the working languages at
International meetings, business, science and in other fields.
The differences between American English and British English are not very great. Written English is
more or less the same in both Britain and America, though there are some spelling differences. For
example, centre, licence, colour and travelled are spelt center, license, color and traveled in American
English. In America, "cock, rubber, ill, holiday, lorry and post" are called "rooster, eraser, sick, vacation,
truck, mail". But people from the two countries can still understand each other easily.
There are only a very small number of differences in grammar between American English and British
English. Some words may have two kinds of pronunciation. You may wonder "Which is correct?" The
answer is that it doesn't matter. But you should speak either American English or British English. Don't try
to speak both at the same time!
1. When did the modem English language begin to grow?
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2. Is English the only working language at International meetings?
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3. What is the word "color" spelt in British English?
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4. What is the word "ill" called in American English?
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5. How many differences are there in grammar between American English and British English?
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