Table shows the number of first-language speakers (in millions) of the seven most widely spoken languages. Note: there are 3800 known languages worldwide; one-seventh are expected to die out over the next 40 years and 72.5 percent over the next 100 years; three-sevenths of the world's population speak these seven as a first language and a further 1.7 billion speak one as a second language.
| Language | First-language Speakers (millions) |
|---|---|
| English | 1386 |
| Chinese | 1000 |
| Spanish | 280 |
| Russian | 270 |
| French | 220 |
| Portuguese | 160 |
| Arabic | 140 |
Which suggested answer most closely represents the fraction of the first-language speakers of the seven most widely spoken languages that speak Spanish or French?
The fraction is closest to one-seventh, so the answer is one-seventh.
Spanish has 280 million first-language speakers and French has 220 million.
So Spanish and French together have 280 plus 220, which is 500 million.
The total first-language speakers of all seven languages are 3456 million.
So the fraction is 500 over 3456.
That is about 1 over 6.9, which is closest to one-seventh.
So the answer is one-seventh.
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