The United Nations has several official languages used for its meetings and documents. Which of the following pairs consists entirely of official languages of the United Nations?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Arabic and Chinese

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The United Nations is an international organisation with member countries from all over the world. To conduct its work, it recognises a limited set of official languages in which major documents are issued and meetings are interpreted. This question asks you to identify which given pair contains only official United Nations languages, a common item in world geography and international organisations sections.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The focus is on official languages of the United Nations.
  • Official languages are used for documentation and simultaneous interpretation in UN bodies.
  • Options list different language pairs, and we must find the one where both are official UN languages.
  • We assume knowledge that the United Nations has more than two official languages in total.


Concept / Approach:
The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Hindi and Japanese are important world languages but are not part of this official group at the UN. To answer the question, check each pair and see whether both languages are on the official list. Arabic and Chinese are both official UN languages, while the pairs involving Hindi or Japanese are not fully correct because those languages are not official at the UN.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the six official UN languages in your mind: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Step 2: Evaluate option Arabic and Chinese. Both Arabic and Chinese appear in the list of six official UN languages. Step 3: Evaluate Hindi and French. French is an official UN language but Hindi is not. Step 4: Evaluate Hindi and Russian. Russian is official but Hindi is not. Step 5: Evaluate Japanese and English. English is official but Japanese is not on the UN official list. Step 6: Conclude that the only pair where both languages are official UN languages is Arabic and Chinese.


Verification / Alternative check:
If you consult United Nations information or recall standard exam notes, you will see that the six official languages are always listed together for the General Assembly and Security Council. Hindi and Japanese do not appear in this list, although they are widely spoken globally. The pairing of Arabic and Chinese as official languages reflects the linguistic diversity of member states and the importance of these languages in international communication, confirming that this pair is correct.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Hindi and French: Hindi is not an official language at the UN.
  • Hindi and Russian: Hindi again is not official, even though Russian is.
  • Japanese and English: Japanese is not an official UN language, although English is.


Common Pitfalls:
Some learners assume that because Hindi and Japanese are widely spoken and belong to influential countries, they must be official UN languages. Others may forget one or two of the six official languages and make a guess. To avoid these errors, commit the full list of six official UN languages to memory and always test each option against that list rather than relying on intuition alone.


Final Answer:
The pair that consists entirely of official United Nations languages is Arabic and Chinese.

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