Passage Two
Defending the French language from the creeping invasion of English has long been a favorite pastime of France’s elite. In 2006 Jacques Chirac walked out of a Brussels summit in protest at a Frenchman speaking in English. It is a point of national pride to protect French music, film, even advertising, from the corrupting influence of English. So why are the French giving up the struggle？
As French children filed back to school on September 2nd, Xavier Darcos, the education minister, announced that he was increasing English-language teaching in the curriculum. “I’ve had enough of hearing that the French do not learn English,” he said. “It’s a big disadvantage for international competition.” By the end of compulsory schooling, he promised, all pupils should be bilingual.
The French are embracing English in less high-minded ways too. When they entered a song in English at this year’s Eurovision song contest, it provoked ironic amusement abroad, but indifference at home. In fact for many young French musicians singing in English is now even de rigueur. “The children of globalization are giving up writing n French,” declared Le Monde, the bible of the French elite-without apparent regret.
Despite rules requiring advertising slogans in English to be sub-titled, French manufacturers still borrow English words. France’s fashion press is another cross dresser. Writing of “Vive la fashion attitude”. In a post-modern twist, teenagers are importing American slang via the heavily north African suburbs, where hip-hop flourishes and street dress is styled on New York city.
Once this might have had official France speaking with indignation. The rules designed to fend off English remain-and are an obstacle to new musicians who do not qualify for the quota of radio time reserved for singers in French. Yet in the globalized, internet age, the French seem to realize, as Mr Darcos put it, that the losers from a refusal to learn English are themselves-and that speaking it need not make them less French. Part of this is down to Mr Chirac’s successor, Nicolas Sarkozy, who. Although no linguist, the new album by wife Carla Bruni, has a track in English-presumably not his predecessor will listen to.
7. According to the education minister Xavier Darcos, .
A. French pupils will benefit from more English learning
B. it is necessary to protect the French language in schools
C. compulsory English lessons may not be as good as expected
D. globalization has put the French language at an advantage
8. What does the phrase “de rigueur” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Problematic B. Unsuccessful C. Tolerable D. Proper
9. It can be learned that le Monde .
A. strongly supports the use of English
B. is worrying about the rapid spread of English
C. feels sorry that the French prefer English over French
D. considers it acceptable for the French to use more English
10. Which of the following fields is NOT mentioned to demonstrate the rising English influence？
A. Music B. Commerce C. Advertising D. Fashion
11. Compared with Mr.Chirac, President Sarkozy Frenchman’s using English.
A. is more critical of B. cares too much about
C. gives more supports D. gains more profits from
12. The best title for the passage is “ ”.
A. The never-ending battle to defend the French language
B. Predominance of the English language in modern France
C. The French hostility to the English language is relaxed
D. Tension emerged between the French and English languages
