An extract from a speech by US President George W. Bush is being used by authorities in the Chinese capital Beijing to test the English of leading officials in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, state media said Sunday.
The Beijing Evening News said one hundred officials will have to take a test measuring their proficiency in expression, comprehension, reading, writing and translation in order to "adapt to Beijing's demands as an international capital."
The first official to pass told the paper that the oral comprehension test was an extract from one of Bush's televised speeches.
"This exam tests not only the language level but also everyone's international perspective," said Zhang Tiedao, deputy director of the city's research department into science and education.
The US leader, who paid an official visit to China last month, is one of the few Western leaders openly to raise with Beijing sensitive topics like the value of the yuan and human rights.
