1. Mary: What languages are spoken in the UK?

2. Wendy: Well as there are people from all over the world living in Britain, I believe they must [1] a) languages b) Latin c) speak their own home [2] a) ancient b) languages c) official d) speak from nearly every country in the world.

3. Stephen: The United Kingdom is now truly multicultural, but there are many indigenous [3] a) language b) languages c) outer d) speak in the United Kingdom. If I show you my map again. Here in Wales the children are raised to [4] a) speaking b) invaded c) Latin d) speak Welsh. In many schools and homes the adults and children are bilingual - they [5] a) ancient b) speaking c) speak two [6] a) languages b) outer c) Scotland d) speak , both English and Welsh. Where in the South West in Cornwall there is a very [7] a) ancient b) fought c) Latin language called Cornish which many people [8] a) speaking b) outer c) Scotland d) speak . The rest of the United Kingdom predominantly speaks English though there are many ethnic [9] a) languages b) speaking c) speak around.

4. Mary: What about in [10] a) official b) outer c) Scotland d) speak . Do people in [11] a) Scottish b) ancient c) fought d) Scotland just [12] a) ancient b) languages c) speaking d) speak English?

5. Stephen: Good question Mary. You see [13] a) ancient b) outer c) Scotland d) speak - we have the [14] a) ancient b) invaded c) Latin d) outer islands for example the [15] a) fought b) languages c) outer d) speak Hebrides and Orkney and there is an [16] a) ancient b) languages c) official d) speak language called Gaelic which some Scottish people still [17] a) speaking b) invaded c) Romans d) speak .

6. Mary: You said Stephen that Gaelic is a very old language, a very [18] a) ancient b) speak c) speaking d) spoken language. Is English very old as well?

7. Stephen: The English we [19] a) ancient b) speaking c) Romans d) speak today is a very modern English. The English language changes over time. Originally the people of the United Kingdom did not [20] a) speaking b) spoke c) speak English. A long time ago, over the last 2000 years, the [21] a) outer b) Romans c) Scotland d) speak [22] a) invaded b) languages c) speak England, pushing the Welsh, the Cornish and the Scottish into the extremities of the country.

8. Stephen: The [23] a) Latin b) official c) outer d) speak language of Britain was [24] a) Latin b) official c) speak d) French .

9. From 400 AD, when the [25] a) French b) invaded c) Romans d) speak left Britain, more countries [26] a) liked b) invaded c) speak Britain. The Angles came from Denmark and the [27] a) ancient b) languages c) outer d) Saxons came from Germany. The Anglo-Saxons became the English people.

10. However, the [28] a) ancient b) languages c) official language for reading and writing was still [29] a) Latin b) English c) French d) speak Most English people couldn't read or write. They spoke [30] a) ancient b) languages c) Latin d) official English, what was called Anglo-Saxon.

11. In the 8th to 10th century, Vikings attacked many parts of [31] a) ancient b) fought c) invaded d) languages Britain. Half of Britain was nearly lost and with it the English language. But in the 9th century King Alfred the Great [32] a) ancient b) fought c) languages d) Latin back, saving the country and the language. For the first time, people began to learn in English not [33] a) languages b) Latin c) Scotland d) speak . King Alfred wrote:

12. Ælfred kyning hateð gretan ða his wordum luflice ond freondlice

13. King Alfred is greeting you with his loving and friendly words

14. The English language became the [34] a) fought b) languages c) official d) spoken and written language of Britain.

15. But in 1066, William the Conqueror [35] a) invaded b) speak c) thinking d) thought from France and beat King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. For the next 300 years, the [36] a) invaded b) Latin c) official d) speak language of England was French and [37] a) Latin b) official c) outer .

16. The English began to fight back. In the 14th century, Britain [38] a) spoke b) fought c) Romans d) Scotland France for nearly 100 years. Schools then began to teach in English, not French.

17. Wendy: And people didn't only come to England with their [39] a) invaded b) languages c) Romans d) speak . British people went out to live in other countries and conquer other countries and picked up their [40] a) fought b) languages c) Romans d) Scotland as well.

18. Stephen: That's true Wendy. From the 16th century the English people travelled and conquered many parts of the world, spreading the English language to India and America and many other countries.

19. In 1788, England began sending its criminals to Australia. Here, English prisoners were sent to Australia for life. They could never return to England. At this time, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Africa were also exposed to the British.

20. By 1897, the British Empire controlled over one-quarter of the world´s population. Everywhere coloured red is under British control.

21. In 400 AD only a few people spoke [41] a) ancient b) languages c) Romans English. In modern times, the Anglo-Saxon language has now become an international language as people travel all over the world.

22. Given all these different influences it's easy to see why English is such a rich, interesting, and sometimes difficult language to spell.