Which of the following is/are not an official language(s) of the United Nations ? 1. Arabic 2. German 3. Spanish 4. Chinese Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 and 3 only
- B.1 and 4 only
- C.1 and 2 only
- D.2 only
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, 2 only. German is not an official language of the United Nations, while Arabic, Spanish and Chinese are.
The UN has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Five of them were official from the founding of the organisation in 1945, and Arabic was added by the General Assembly in 1973. Meetings of the main bodies are interpreted into all six, and official documents are issued in all six. English and French are the two working languages of the UN Secretariat. German is widely spoken in Europe, but documents in German are produced only by a small translation section paid for by German-speaking countries.
A is wrong: Arabic and Spanish are both official UN languages.
B is wrong: Arabic and Chinese are both official UN languages.
C is wrong: Arabic is official; only German, statement 2, is not.
Exam tip: Six UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish (Arabic added in 1973).
Practice Questions
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