Asia is home to more than half of the world's population and three of the four most crowded countries are in Asia. China, India, and Indonesia alone have more than 2.5 billion people.
Until recently, most Asian nations fell behind the western countries in many fields. Government reform(改革), however, has led to important progress in each of these Asian countries. Across the area, education systems have been improved and economies（經濟） have been growing. Most Asian countries now have a system of compulsory(義務的) education. Many countries have recently allowed private universities to be built, which was not allowed before. There are more chances for students to go to university now.
However, in Asia, there are still not enough chances for students to get higher education and many people prefer to go abroad for further study. As a result, India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries send thousands of students to study in the United States and Europe each year.
Part of the people in Asian countries can speak English, and English has become the most important language for business across the area. The percentage(百分比) is the largest in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, SriLanka and South Korea. Many people in China, India and Malaysia can also speak English. Some countries have made English part of the primary and secondary education program. In some countries, children begin to study English even at the age of 4 or 5.
小題1:The population of Asia is about__________ .
| A．2.5 billion | B．half of the world's population |
| C．1.3 billion | D．6 billion |
小題2:Most Asian countries __________ the western countries in many fields.
| A．are better than | B．are more powerful than |
| C．get greater progress than. | D．are not as good as |
小題3:In the past, __________ was not allowed in many Asian countries.
| A．speaking English | B．moving to other countries |
| C．building private universities | D．building middle schools |
小題4:Why do so many students in Asia go to study in the USA and Europe?
| A．Because they are rich. |
| B．Because there are not enough chances for students to get higher education in Asia. |
| C．Because they don't want to work hard. |
| D．Because they can speak English very well. |
小題5:Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．There're more than 2.5 billion people in China, India and Indonesia. |
| B．The economies in Asian countries are becoming worse. |
| C．Education in Asia has had great changes. |
| D．In some Asian countries, English has become very important for business |
