The extension of French as a second or acquired language is particularly striking. This was to some extent the result of military and political prestige, but the virtues of the language itself and French cultural achievements actually played el much greater role. The "lead which France tock in the 12th century in literature and in other domains made its language a sort of lingua franca of the cultured classes of Europe; and in the 17th and 18th centuries French was cultivated assiduously by the royal courts and the upper classes of most European countries and was written by many non-French authors. But even before the end of the 18th century French began to lose ground and the movement was accelerated by the revival of national sentiment in Europe at the turn of the century and later by the rise of English under the influence of Britain and America. Many things, however, have found their supreme expression in French; and its precision, beauty and eloquence make it a classical language in the true sense of the word.
According to the writer of this passage, French was widely used outside of France _____.
especially in Britain and America
only during the years of France's military and political supremacy
though this was not gratifying to the French people
among all classes of society
largely on account of its intrinsic merits and because France was culturally to the fore
It is pointed out in the passage that French _____.
is the ideal language of literature and culture but lacks the definition necessary for the conduct of everyday life
is a language of great beauty and eloquence, but that these qualities cannot be appreciated out of France
was the language favored by many non-French writers in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries
should not have been replaced by English
has scarcely changed at aft since it rose to importance in the 12th century
It is clear from the passage that the spread of nationalism in Europe in the opening years of the 19th century _____.
slowed down the emergence of English as an international language
contributed to the decline in the importance of French as a foreign language
followed the sudden loss of the military prestige of France
was firmly encouraged by a croup of non-French writers
was a sure sign that the period of France's lead in cultural matters was completely over