3．Towards the end of Middle English，a sudden change in pronunciation started，with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter．From the 16th century the British had contact （聯系） with people from around the world．This means that many new words and phrases entered the language．The invention of printing also meant that there was a common language in print．Books became cheaper and more people learned to read．Spelling and grammar became fixed，and the dialect （方言） of London became the standard．In 1604，the first English dictionary was published．
The numbers of words in Early Modem English and Late Modem English differ．Late Modem English has a lot more words because of two main factors （因素）：firstly，the Industrial Revolution created a need for new words； secondly，the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth's surface，and the English language took in foreign words from many countries．
From around 1600，the English colonization （殖民地化） of North America resulted in the creation of American English．Some English pronunciation and words froze when they reached America．In some ways，American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modem British English．Some expressions that the British call"Americanisms"are in fact original （原先的） British expressions that were preserved （保存） in the colonies but were lost in Britain．Spanish also had an influence on American English，with words like canyon，ranch，stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English．French words and West African words also influenced American English．
Today，American English is the most influential （影響力的）．But there are many other kinds of English around the world，including Australian English，New Zealand English，Canadian English，South African English，Indian English and Caribbean English．They have differences．
53．What can we know from Paragraph 1？B
A．The dialect of London became the standard in the year 1604．
B．The first English dictionary was published in the early 17th century．
C．Vowels were pronounced longer towards the end of Middle English．
D．Many new words entered English because many people moved to Britain．
54．The underlined word"froze"in Paragraph 3 shows that some English words in AmericaD．
A．became longer
B．greatly changed
C．a little changed
D．stayed as they were
55．What will the paragraph following this passage most probably discuss？C
A．The development of Modem English
B．How the English vocabulary became larger
C．Differences among the different kinds of English
D．Differences between Middle English and Modem English．
分析 本文著重講述了在幾個不同的國家的英語上存在著很大的差異，并分析了具體的原因．
解答 53．B．細節理解題．根據第一段最后一句In 1604，the first English dictionary was published．說明是在17世紀的時候才又了第一部字典．故B正確．
54．D．推理判斷題．根據第三段2，3，4行Some English pronunciation andwords froze when they reached America．In some ways，AmericanEnglish is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English．Some expressions that the British call"Americanisms"are in fact original （原先的）British expressions thatwere preserved （保存）in the colonies but were lost in Britain．說明當英語來到這些殖民地的時候就不再變化了，反而是在英國本土的英語發生了變化，故該詞指的是保持原樣．故D說法正確．
55．C．推理判斷題．根據最后一段But there are many other kinds of English around the world，including Australian English，New Zealand English，Canadian English，South African English，Indian English and Caribbean English．They have differences可知文章這幾段都是在解釋幾種不同的英語之間差異的原因，那么最有可能接下來講述的是一些具體的不同之處．故C正確．
點評 考察學生的細節理解和推理判斷能力，做細節理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進行比較，再做出正確的選擇．在做推理判斷題不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要根據文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
