People from Great Britain brought the English language to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. And in the ______ 300 years, there were so many ______ in both places that now people can easily   ______ an English person from an American in the ______ he or she talks.

Many old words ______ in England but were kept in America. For example, 300 years ago people in Great Britain got their water from something they ______ either a “faucet”， “spigot”， or a “tap”. All these words are ______ heard in different parts of America, but only “tap” is still ______ in England. Americans often make ______ new words or change old ones. “Corn” is one kind of plant in America and ______ in England.

Also, over the last three centuries the English language has ______ thousands of new words for things that weren't ______ before. And often, American and English people used two ______ names for them. A tin can is called “tin” for short in English, but a “can” in America. The word “radio” is ______ all over the world, including America. But many English people call it a “wireless”. And almost anything     ______ something to do with cars, railroads, etc. has different ______ in British and American English.

But now American and British English may be ______ closer together.   One thing is that ______ people can hear a large amount of American speech daily in ______， on television, or from travelers.   Because of this, Americans ______ to be influencing the British more and more. So some day, English may even be the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

Language studies traditionally have paid much attention to verbal and written language. But recently they have begun to consider language without______, for people regard nonverbal ______ as having meaning. Nonverbal acts either accompany verbal messages or are used independently. They may support or even contradict spoken messages. They are more likely to be used ______ because they are habitual and routine behaviors.

In some ______, people express more nonverbally than verbally. If you ask an obviously depressed person, “What’s wrong?”, and he answers, “Nothing. I’m fine,” you probably won’t ______ him. When an angry person says, “Let’s ______ the subject. I don’t want to talk about it anymore!”, actually he hasn’t stopped communicating. His withdrawal and ______ continue to convey emotional meaning.

One study showed that 93 percent of the message was communicated by the tone of the ______ and facial expressions, while only 7 percent of the speaker’s attitude was conveyed by words. It is ______ that we express our emotions and attitudes more nonverbally than verbally.

Nonverbal communication expresses meaning or feeling ______ words. Universal emotions, such as happiness, fear, and sadness, are expressed in a ______ nonverbal way throughout the world. There are, however, nonverbal differences across cultures that may be a source of ______ for foreigners. For example, feelings of friendship exist everywhere but their expression ______. It may be acceptable in some countries for men to embrace each other and for women to hold hands; in other countries these acts of ______ may be shocking.

What is acceptable in one culture may be completely unacceptable in another. In order to correctly ______ another culture’s style of communication, it is necessary to study the “silent language” of that culture.

If you want to learn a new language, the very first thing to think about is why. Do you need it for a ______ reason, such as your job or your studies? Or perhaps you’re interested in the ______, films or music of a different country, and you know how much it will help to have a ______ of the language.

Most people learn best by using a variety of ______, but traditional classes are an ideal (理想的) start for many people. They ______ an environment where you can practice under the ______ of someone who’s good at the language. We all lead busy lives and learning a language takes ______. You will have more success if you study regularly, so try to develop a ______. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got long. Becoming fluent (流利的) in a language will take years, but learning to get by taking a lot less.

Many people start learning a language and soon give up. “I’m too ______,” they say. Yes, children do learn languages more ______ than adults, but research has shown that you can learn a language at any ______. And learning is good for the health of your brain, too. I’ve also heard people ______ about the mistakes they make when learning. Well, relax and laugh about your mistakes ______ you’re much less likely to make them again.

Learning a new language is never easy. But with some work and devotion, you’ll make progress. And you’ll be   ______ by the positive reaction from some native speakers when you say just a few words in ______ own language. Good luck!