instruction:
In this task, we ask you to rewrite a sentence in simple English without changing its general meaning. Essentially, you want to make the sentence easier to read by using simpler words, utilizing more straightforward sentence structures, and omitting non-essential information etc.
question:
From the 17th to the mid-20th century , French served as the pre-eminent international language of diplomacy and international affairs as well as a lingua franca among the educated classes of Europe .
answer:
French was the language of diplomacy and culture in Europe between the 17th and 19th century and is still widely used .


question:
The Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films , independently produced by Marvel Studios and based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics .
answer:
It is a fictional universe that is the setting of several superhero movies and TV shows made by Marvel Studios , based on characters by Marvel Comics .


question:
The national ISBN agency assigns the registrant element ( cf . ) and an accompanying series of ISBNs within that registrant element to the publisher ; the publisher then allocates one of the ISBNs to each of its books .
answer:

The national ISBN agency assigns the publisher number ( cf. the ) ; the publisher selects the item number .