[originaltext]W: Hi, Bob. You speak very good Chinese.M: Not really, Mary. I j

W: Hi, Bob. You speak very good Chinese.
M: Not really, Mary. I just know a little. (1) Actually, not being able to speak a foreign language is a bit of a British trait or a particularly British characteristic. The British are generally considered to be lazy linguists. We just don’t bother to learn another language.
W: I guess the main reason is that when you travel around the world, you find that English is spoken almost everywhere.
M: Yes, yes. We get by. We survive on just using our mother language.
W: But you seem to love learning languages a lot. How many foreign languages can you speak?
M: Not that many. A bit of German, some French, Polish a little, Chinese of course, a bit of Japanese. That’s about it.
W: I’m impressed. Well, what is the second most-spoken language in England? Is it Chinese?
M: No, I don’t think so.
W: Then, that must be French.
M: No. (2) According to the recent census, 104 different languages are spoken in the UK and Polish is the second most-spoken language, followed by Punjabi and Urdu.
W: Then, do you have to learn a foreign language in school?
M: No, it’s not compulsory. (3) But recently a campaign was launched to encourage everyone in the UK to learn at least 1,000 words of another language. It hopes to help Britain increase international trade.
W: 1,000 words?
M: Yes. It’s called the 1,000 Words Campaign because it says a vocabulary of 1,000 words would allow a speaker to hold a simple conversation.
W: That sounds like a good idea.
M: Yes. (4) It gives you self-satisfaction and self-esteem if you can speak another language when you’re travelling. And I think it also gives you an edge in a lot of different areas in the workplace. You feel good about learning a new skill and you feel good about yourself, and it boosts your confidence. Imagine going on a holiday to Spain and being able to speak to the locals.
W: Of course it does make one feel good.
M: And there are also the economic benefits of speaking another language. It gives you an advantage, especially if you are dealing with foreign companies.
W: Yes. It also shows politeness and respect for other people by showing you have made an effort. M: You’re right. Mm, I’m afraid I must get going now. (5-1) I’ll have my Chinese class at 10 o’clock.
W: (5-2) Oh, I have a class at 10 as well. OK, see you later.
M: See you.
1. According to the man, what is a British characteristic?
2. What is the second most-spoken language in the UK?
3. Why was the 1,000 Words Campaign launched?
4. According to the man，which is not considered an advantage of learning a foreign language?
5. What’s the most probable relationship between the man and the woman?