Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) Social Science Practice Test

The statement regarding the number of languages spoken in the world asserts that there are at least 6,000 different languages. Linguistic studies and databases, such as those maintained by linguistic organizations and global databases like Ethnologue, provide evidence that the number of distinct languages in the world is indeed around 6,000 or more. This figure reflects the immense diversity of human language, encompassing various families, dialects, and regional variations that contribute to the richness of global culture and communication. The other statements, while potentially interesting in their own right, do not pertain to the question about languages. The reference to poverty as a cultural concept is more philosophical and does not address linguistic diversity. The fact regarding the earth's surface being 50% water is about geography rather than languages. Lastly, the statement about the Amazon being the world’s longest river has been a matter of some debate but does not relate to the number of languages, making it irrelevant to the question at hand. Thus, the focus on the number of languages and the acknowledgement of their diversity supports the accuracy of the first statement.