[单项选择]

Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfil. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed.
Task 1
Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 through 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
The English language is the lingua franca (通用语言) of business to an extent not imaginable even a decade ago. Three-quarters of the world’s mail, faxes and e-mails are in English. And each of those figures is growing.
English is now the official language of a number of international companies. The EFTA organization has English as its official language despite the facts that none of its six member countries use it as a native language. Th
A. the EC will use English and French as its official language
B. the Japanese government will increase the total number of hours in English study for secondary school students
C. Japanese businessmen would prefer to do business with Britain rather than other European countries
D. Japanese language will probably become the lingua franca of business all over the world