6 EXTRA EXAM PRACTICE

English or Chinese?
For decades, China isolated itself from the rest of the world. However, as China has opened up and modernised,
Western culture and language have spread rapidly throughout the country. Western brands are now widely
available. English-language television programmes have become increasingly popular and there are large numbers
of students wanting to study English. While many see this development as an inevitable by-product of the global
world that they live in, some feel that the craze for English and the West has become excessive and could be
harmful for China in the long-run.
In particular, some people are concerned by the “invasion” of English words into the Chinese language. Words such
as okay, bye and guitar have slipped into everyday Chinese, while terms like DVD, MP3 and CEO are common.
They fear that the increasing flow of English words and phrases into Chinese conversation could endanger the
future of the language. This concern has resulted in a demand for linguistic purity. Recently, Chinese media were
told to start using a list of official Chinese translations for English abbreviations and acronyms.
In addition to concerns about the purity of the Chinese language, there are also fears that the Chinese are losing the
ability to read and write their own language. Chinese has thousands of different characters that form words. Today,
Chinese youth have less need to remember these characters since they have smartphones and tablets that are
equipped with character recognition software that can do the job for them.
Some people believe that in order to strengthen young people’s connection to their language and culture, it’s
necessary to move the emphasis away from English and towards Chinese. As a result, the demand for private
Chinese-language schools is growing. In addition to the ordinary curriculum, these schools teach their students
classic Chinese literature and Chinese characters.
What’s more, there’s a move to lessen the importance of English in the education system. At the moment, English
is a core subject throughout primary and secondary school and is considered just as important as maths and Chinese
in the annual secondary school and university exams. In addition, all students wishing to be admitted to university
or graduate school are required to pass an English proficiency test; regardless of the field they’re interested in
pursuing. Now, the Ministry of Education has announced its plans to reduce the points allotted to English while
raising the points for Chinese.
While this attempt to contain the spread of Western values in China may be understandable, there’s a danger that it
may backfire. It’s widely recognised that as the language used in international business, English is an essential tool
for the employees of Chinese businesses that want to go global. A reduced emphasis on English education in school
may well result in lower English proficiency among secondary school graduates, which may have a negative effect
on the Chinese economy further down the line.
What’s more, the Chinese government may have to accept the fact that in today’s world, any attempt to maintain
linguistic and cultural purity is doomed to failure. Today, people the world over are more exposed to other countries
and cultures than ever before. Take Chinese, for example. As China continues to develop as an economic
superpower, people from all over the world are flocking to study Chinese. Cultural exchange, it appears, goes both
ways.

by-product: conseqüència, resultat / consecuencia, resultado

craze: moda
lessen (to lessen): reduir / reducir
core: troncal
allotted: assignat / asignado
backfire (to backfire): resultar contraproduent / resultar contraproducente

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 6 EXTRA EXAM PRACTICE
PART 1: READING COMPREHENSION
Choose the best answer according to the text. Only ONE answer is correct.
1 Which of the following is NOT a reason for the decline in
knowledge of the Chinese language?
a. technological developments
b. the popularity of Western brands
c. the emphasis on English in schools
d. the use of English abbreviations and words
2 Young people in China today … .
a. cannot speak Chinese accurately
b. aren’t familiar with English abbreviations
c. aren’t skilled in the written Chinese language
d. aren’t interested in adopting Western culture
3 Chinese-language schools … .
a. ignore the ordinary curriculum
b. are hard to get accepted to
c. are becoming more popular
d. have been opened by the Chinese Government
4 Which of the following statements is true?
a. Anyone who wants to study in a Chinese university
must have a good level of English.
b. Only people who want to study business in China
must have a good level of English.
c. Only people who are applying for a second degree
in China must have a good level of English.
d. Students in Chinese universities don’t need to
have a good level of English
PART 2: WRITING
Choose ONE topic. Write about number 1 or 2. Minimum length: 100 words. [4 points]
1. Write a letter to a friend explaining why you’ve enrolled in a class to study Chinese.
2. In your opinion, should the Chinese Government continue to take measures to protect the purity of the Chinese
language? Why or why not?
Name Mark
5 The Ministry of Education has reduced the points allotted to
English in the university exam so that … .
a. university students will not know English
b. students will have more of an incentive to
study Chinese
c. English and Chinese will have equal weight in
the exam
d. students will use Chinese translations for English
abbreviations
6 If the level of English education in China falls, … .
a. the effects will be immediate
b. young people won’t be affected
c. international business may be damaged
d. the level of English in the country will remain high
7 The writer believes that the Chinese Government … .
a. should promote the spread of Western culture
in China
b. cannot prevent the spread of Western culture
in China
c. should reduce the emphasis on English education
in Chinese schools
d. shouldn’t be concerned about the spread of Western
culture in China
8 Which of the following statements is true?
a. There’s no need for people in the West to learn
Chinese.
b. Chinese people aren’t interested in learning Chinese.
c. Chinese will soon disappear as an independent
language.
d. Many people around the world are interested in
learning Chinese.