After World War II, the Soviet Union set up communist governments across Eastern Europe. In 1947, Britain told the United States it could no longer afford to support the governments of Greece, which was fighting communist-led rebels, and Turkey, which faced Soviet pressure. On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman asked Congress for $400 million in aid for the two countries.
(1) At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. …
(2) I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
(3) I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
(4) I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.
Which statement best summarizes the policy Truman describes in paragraph 2?
Hint
Paragraph 2 begins "it must be the policy of the United States to …" Restate the rest in your own words.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures."
Reasoning:Subjugation means being brought under someone else's control. Truman says the United States will help countries that are fighting off a takeover, whether by rebels inside ("armed minorities") or by a foreign power ("outside pressures"). In 1947 that meant Greece and Turkey, threatened by communist rebels and Soviet pressure. This policy of stopping the spread of communism is called containment.
Answer: The United States will help nations resist being taken over by force or outside pressure.
Tip: When a sentence contains a difficult word (subjugation), use the rest of the sentence and the introduction to work out its meaning, then restate the whole idea simply.
Question 2 of 36
The Truman Doctrine (1947)
After World War II, the Soviet Union set up communist governments across Eastern Europe. In 1947, Britain told the United States it could no longer afford to support the governments of Greece, which was fighting communist-led rebels, and Turkey, which faced Soviet pressure. On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman asked Congress for $400 million in aid for the two countries.
(1) At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. …
(2) I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
(3) I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
(4) I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.
According to paragraph 4, what kind of help did Truman think the United States should mainly provide?
Hint
Find the word "primarily" in paragraph 4.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 4: "our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes."
Reasoning:Primarily means mainly. Truman wanted to fight communism mostly with money and economic support, because he believed stable economies keep governments stable. (Congress approved the $400 million, which included some military advisers and supplies, but the speech stresses economic aid.) The same thinking shaped the Marshall Plan a few months later.
Answer: economic and financial aid.
Tip: Signal words such as primarily, mainly and most important point straight to the answer of a "main" question.
Question 3 of 36
Hot spotBerlin: A Divided City
(1) After World War II, the Allies divided Germany into four zones, controlled by the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. The capital, Berlin, sat deep inside the Soviet zone, but it was divided into four sectors too.
(2) In June 1948, the Soviet Union blocked every road, railway and canal leading into the western sectors of Berlin, hoping to force the Western powers to leave the city. The United States and Britain responded with the Berlin Airlift. For about eleven months, cargo planes flew in more than 2.3 million tons of food, coal and other supplies. In May 1949, the Soviets lifted the blockade.
(3) In 1949, Germany split into two countries: democratic West Germany and communist East Germany. In 1961, East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop its people from escaping to the West. The wall stood until November 9, 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990.
Use the map and text in "Berlin: A Divided City."
Click the area that the Berlin Airlift supplied.
Click on the figure to mark your answer (or focus it and use the arrow keys).
Hint
Paragraph 2 says which part of Berlin the Soviets blocked. Find that part on the map.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "the Soviet Union blocked every road, railway and canal leading into the western sectors of Berlin," and the United States and Britain responded with the Berlin Airlift.
Reasoning: The western sectors of Berlin (the U.S., British and French sectors) are labeled West on the left half of the Berlin circle. This area sat about 100 miles inside East Germany, so when land routes were cut, only planes could reach it. East Berlin was the Soviet sector and did not need Western supplies; West Germany could be reached normally.
Answer: the western half of Berlin (West Berlin).
Tip: For map questions, match a key phrase in the text ("western sectors of Berlin") to the labels and legend on the map before you click.
Question 4 of 36
President Kennedy's Inaugural Address (1961)
On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy became president. The United States and the Soviet Union were rivals in a nuclear arms race, and both were competing for influence in newly independent nations around the world. Kennedy used his inaugural address to speak to Americans and to the rest of the world.
(1) Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
(2) This much we pledge—and more. …
(3) So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. …
(4) In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.
Read paragraph 1 of Kennedy's Inaugural Address. Which statement best summarizes Kennedy's message?
Hint
Look at the list of verbs: pay, bear, meet, support, oppose. What are they all for?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 1: "we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
Step by step:
The sentence is addressed to "every nation," friendly or not ("whether it wishes us well or ill").
Each phrase describes a sacrifice or commitment: price, burden, hardship.
The goal of all of them is stated at the end: "the survival and the success of liberty."
Answer: The United States would make great sacrifices to defend freedom around the world.
Check: Nothing in the paragraph names a war against a specific country or limits help to friendly nations, so C and D go beyond the text.
Tip: For a main-idea question about one long sentence, find the purpose phrase (often "to …" or "in order to …") at the end. It tells you what everything else is for.
Question 5 of 36
President Kennedy's Inaugural Address (1961)
On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy became president. The United States and the Soviet Union were rivals in a nuclear arms race, and both were competing for influence in newly independent nations around the world. Kennedy used his inaugural address to speak to Americans and to the rest of the world.
(1) Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
(2) This much we pledge—and more. …
(3) So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. …
(4) In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.
In paragraph 3, Kennedy says that "civility is not a sign of weakness." As it is used here, civility means
Hint
Think about how rival nations should treat each other when they "begin anew." Ignore look-alike words.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 3: "So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof."
Step by step:
"On both sides" tells us Kennedy is speaking to the United States and its rivals.
He is talking about how they should behave as they "begin anew" and "negotiate."
Something that might look like weakness but is not would be polite, respectful treatment of a rival. That is civility.
Answer: polite and respectful behavior.
Check: Put the answer into the sentence: "remembering on both sides that polite, respectful behavior is not a sign of weakness." It makes sense. "Military strength" would make the sentence pointless, since strength is never a sign of weakness.
Tip: Do not choose a meaning just because the word looks like another word (civility / civil government). Test each choice in the sentence.
Question 6 of 36
Two Presidents in Berlin (1963 and 1987)
In August 1961, communist East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from escaping to West Berlin. Two U.S. presidents later gave famous speeches in West Berlin, close to the wall.
Source A — President John F. Kennedy, June 26, 1963
(1) There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. …
(2) Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.
Source B — President Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987
By 1987, the Soviet leader, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, had begun reforms that loosened some government controls in the Soviet Union. Reagan spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a historic gateway that stood just behind the wall on the East German side.
(3) General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The wall was opened on November 9, 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990.
According to Source A, paragraph 2, what difference does Kennedy point out between the free world and the communist side?
Hint
Find the sentence that begins "Freedom has many difficulties." What comes after "but"?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Source A, paragraph 2: "Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us."
Step by step:
The first half admits weaknesses of the free world ("many difficulties," "not perfect").
The word but introduces the key contrast.
The contrast: free countries never needed a wall to stop their own people from leaving—the communist side did.
Answer: Free countries have never had to build a wall to keep their own people from leaving.
Check: B contradicts the admission that freedom "has many difficulties." C reverses who built the wall and why (East Germany built it to keep its people in). D repeats a claim Kennedy rejects.
Tip: In a sentence with but, the most important point usually comes after the but.
Question 7 of 36
Hot spotThe Korean War (1950–1953)
(1) At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel (a line of latitude). The Soviet Union backed a communist government in the north, and the United States backed a non-communist government in the south.
(2) On June 25, 1950, North Korea's army invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council called on member nations to help South Korea. The Soviet Union, which could have vetoed this action, was boycotting the Security Council at the time, so its delegate was not there to vote. President Harry S. Truman sent U.S. forces, which fought under a UN command led by General Douglas MacArthur. By August, North Korean troops had pushed UN and South Korean forces into a small area around the port of Pusan in the southeast.
(3) In September 1950, MacArthur landed troops by sea at Inchon, near Seoul, far behind North Korean lines. UN forces then pushed north across the 38th parallel toward the Yalu River, the border with China. Communist China warned that it would not accept enemy troops on its border. In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the war and drove UN forces back to the south.
(4) The fighting then settled into a bloody stalemate near the 38th parallel. MacArthur publicly called for attacking China itself, but Truman wanted to keep the war limited and avoid a wider war with China and the Soviet Union. In April 1951, Truman removed MacArthur from command. Truman did not use atomic weapons in Korea.
(5) An armistice (cease-fire) signed in July 1953 ended the fighting. The border stayed near the 38th parallel, with a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. No peace treaty was ever signed. About 36,000 Americans died in the war.
Use the map and text in "The Korean War (1950–1953)."
Click the area where UN and South Korean forces were trapped in August 1950.
Click on the figure to mark your answer (or focus it and use the arrow keys).
Hint
Paragraph 2 names a port. Find it on the map and look at the legend.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "By August, North Korean troops had pushed UN and South Korean forces into a small area around the port of Pusan in the southeast."
Step by step:
The text names the place: the area around Pusan.
On the map, Pusan is in the far southeast corner of the peninsula.
The legend says the shaded area is the "Pusan Perimeter, Aug.–Sept. 1950."
Answer: the shaded Pusan Perimeter in the southeast corner of South Korea.
Check: Seoul and Inchon are near the 38th parallel—North Korean troops captured that area early in the war. Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea.
Tip: On map questions, match a key word in the text (Pusan) to a label, then confirm with the legend before you click.
Question 8 of 36
Drag and dropThe Space Race
(1) On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon. They met a goal that President John F. Kennedy had set for the nation in 1961.
(2) The race to space had begun twelve years earlier. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. Many Americans feared that rockets powerful enough to reach space could also carry nuclear weapons to the United States. In 1958, Congress responded by creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and by funding more science and math education.
(3) The Soviets took the lead again on April 12, 1961, when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth. The next month, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth.
Use "The Space Race." The passage does not describe events in the order they happened. Drag the events into chronological order, from earliest (1) to latest (5).
1 (earliest)
2
3
4
5 (latest)
Tap a tile, then tap a box to place it.
Hint
Paragraph 1 describes the last event. Use the dates, not the paragraph order.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence:
Paragraph 2: Sputnik launched "On October 4, 1957"; NASA created "In 1958."
Paragraph 3: Gagarin orbited "on April 12, 1961"; Glenn orbited "On February 20, 1962."
Paragraph 1: Moon landing "On July 20, 1969."
Order:
Soviet Union launches Sputnik (1957)
Congress creates NASA (1958)
Yuri Gagarin orbits Earth (1961)
John Glenn orbits Earth (1962)
Americans land on the moon (1969)
Check: Paragraph 2 says the race "had begun twelve years earlier" than the moon landing: 1969 − 12 = 1957, matching Sputnik.
Tip: Writers often start with the most dramatic event and then go back in time (a flashback). Always sequence by dates.
Question 9 of 36
Berlin: A Divided City
(1) After World War II, the Allies divided Germany into four zones, controlled by the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. The capital, Berlin, sat deep inside the Soviet zone, but it was divided into four sectors too.
(2) In June 1948, the Soviet Union blocked every road, railway and canal leading into the western sectors of Berlin, hoping to force the Western powers to leave the city. The United States and Britain responded with the Berlin Airlift. For about eleven months, cargo planes flew in more than 2.3 million tons of food, coal and other supplies. In May 1949, the Soviets lifted the blockade.
(3) In 1949, Germany split into two countries: democratic West Germany and communist East Germany. In 1961, East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop its people from escaping to the West. The wall stood until November 9, 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990.
Based on the map and the text, why did the Western powers have to supply West Berlin by air in 1948–1949?
Hint
Look at where Berlin is on the map, and read what the Soviets blocked in paragraph 2.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Map: Berlin lies inside East Germany, the Soviet-controlled area. Paragraph 1: Berlin "sat deep inside the Soviet zone." Paragraph 2: the Soviets "blocked every road, railway and canal leading into the western sectors."
Reasoning: Two facts combine. West Berlin was surrounded by Soviet-controlled territory, and the Soviets closed all land and water routes through that territory. With roads, rails and canals cut, air was the only way in. The Soviets hoped the West would give up the city; instead the airlift lasted until the blockade ended in May 1949.
Answer: West Berlin was surrounded by Soviet-controlled land, and the Soviets blocked all ground and water routes.
Tip: "Based on the map and the text" means the answer needs both. Here the map shows location and the text explains the action.
Question 10 of 36
Secretary of State George C. Marshall Proposes Aid to Europe (1947)
In 1947, much of Europe was still in ruins from World War II. Food and fuel were scarce, and communist parties were gaining support in countries such as France and Italy. On June 5, 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall spoke at Harvard University.
(1) It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace.
(2) Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist.
From 1948 to 1952, the Marshall Plan sent about $13 billion in aid to Western European countries. The Soviet Union refused the aid and kept Eastern European countries from taking part.
According to Marshall, what was the main goal of U.S. aid to Europe?
Hint
Look at paragraph 2. What does Marshall say the policy is directed against, and what is its purpose?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world."
Reasoning: Marshall says the goal is to rebuild Europe's economy so that "free institutions can exist." Paragraph 1 links economic health to "political stability" and "assured peace." Although historians note that the plan also helped contain communism, Marshall deliberately said the policy was "not against any country or doctrine." Choice A contradicts that statement.
Answer: to rebuild Europe's economy so stable, free governments could survive.
Tip: Answer "according to the author" questions with the author's own stated words, even if you know other motives existed.
Question 11 of 36
Drop-down
Complete the paragraph about early Cold War policies.
The Truman Doctrine (1947) provided aid to . The Marshall Plan (1948–1952) mainly provided to Western Europe. NATO (1949) was a in which members agreed to defend one another.
Choose an answer from each menu.
Hint
Truman's 1947 request named two countries in the eastern Mediterranean. Marshall's plan focused on rebuilding economies. NATO is about defense.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: In March 1947, Truman asked Congress for $400 million in aid for Greece and Turkey. Marshall's speech calls for "the revival of a working economy," and from 1948 to 1952 the plan sent about $13 billion in aid. NATO's treaty (1949) states that "an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all."
Answers:
Greece and Turkey
economic aid
military alliance
All three are tools of containment: aid to threatened nations, rebuilding economies so communism would seem less attractive, and a promise of joint defense. The Soviet Union answered NATO with its own alliance, the Warsaw Pact, in 1955.
Tip: Keep the early containment tools straight with one word each: Truman Doctrine = Greece/Turkey, Marshall Plan = economy, NATO = defense.
Question 12 of 36
President Kennedy on Soviet Missiles in Cuba (1962)
In October 1962, U.S. spy planes photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites being built in Cuba, about 90 miles from Florida. On October 22, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation on television.
(1) Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere. …
(2) First: To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation or port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. …
(3) Third: It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.
After thirteen tense days, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles. The United States promised not to invade Cuba and, secretly, agreed to remove its own missiles from Turkey.
In paragraph 1, what does Kennedy say has been established by "unmistakable evidence"?
Hint
Read the first sentence of paragraph 1 and the introduction.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 1: "unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island." The introduction explains that "U.S. spy planes photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites being built in Cuba."
Reasoning: The "imprisoned island" is Cuba (Kennedy's description of a communist-ruled country). The evidence shows that missile sites were being built there. Kennedy concludes their purpose is "a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere." No missile had been fired (B), and the crisis was not about an invasion of Florida or Soviet troops in Berlin.
Answer: Missile sites capable of launching nuclear attacks were being built in Cuba.
Tip: When a speaker uses a description instead of a name ("that imprisoned island"), use the introduction to identify what is meant.
Question 13 of 36
President Kennedy on Soviet Missiles in Cuba (1962)
In October 1962, U.S. spy planes photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites being built in Cuba, about 90 miles from Florida. On October 22, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation on television.
(1) Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere. …
(2) First: To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation or port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. …
(3) Third: It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.
After thirteen tense days, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles. The United States promised not to invade Cuba and, secretly, agreed to remove its own missiles from Turkey.
As it is used in paragraph 2, the word quarantine means
Hint
Read the next sentence in paragraph 2. What would happen to ships carrying weapons?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba … will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back."
Reasoning: In everyday use, a quarantine keeps sick people isolated. Here the context sentence explains a different meaning: the U.S. Navy would stop ships headed to Cuba and turn back any carrying offensive weapons. In other words, a naval blockade of weapons shipments. Kennedy chose this word partly because a full "blockade" is considered an act of war. Notice it applied only to weapons—food and other goods could pass.
Answer: stopping ships from delivering weapons to Cuba.
Tip: For vocabulary-in-context questions, the familiar meaning of a word is often a trap. Always read the sentence after the word for the author's own explanation.
Question 14 of 36
Drag and drop
Drag these Cold War events into chronological order, from earliest (1) to latest (4).
1 (earliest)
2
3
4 (latest)
Tap a tile, then tap a box to place it.
Hint
Think about the decade of each event: late 1940s, late 1950s, early 1960s, late 1980s.
Step-by-step solution
Correct order:
Berlin Airlift (1948–1949) — the U.S. and Britain supplied West Berlin by air during the Soviet blockade.
Soviet Union launches Sputnik (1957) — the first artificial satellite; it started the space race and led to NASA (1958).
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) — thirteen days in October when the superpowers came closest to nuclear war.
Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) — East Germany opened the wall on November 9; the Soviet Union dissolved two years later, in December 1991.
Reasoning: The Cold War moved from the division of Europe (1940s), to the arms and space race (1950s–1960s), to détente (1970s) and finally to collapse (1989–1991).
Tip: Group Cold War events by decade first; it is easier to order four decades than four exact dates.
Question 15 of 36
President Kennedy's Inaugural Address (1961)
On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy became president. The United States and the Soviet Union were rivals in a nuclear arms race, and both were competing for influence in newly independent nations around the world. Kennedy used his inaugural address to speak to Americans and to the rest of the world.
(1) Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
(2) This much we pledge—and more. …
(3) So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. …
(4) In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.
In paragraph 3, Kennedy says, "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." What is Kennedy's most likely purpose in pairing these two sentences?
Hint
Each sentence warns against a different mistake. What are the two mistakes?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 3: "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." The same paragraph says that "civility is not a sign of weakness."
Step by step:
Sentence 1 warns against negotiating because you are afraid—that is, giving in from weakness.
Sentence 2 warns against being afraid of negotiating—that is, refusing to talk at all.
Together they describe a balance: stay firm and strong, but keep the door open to talks with rivals such as the Soviet Union.
Answer: to show that the United States would remain strong while still being willing to talk with its rivals.
Check: Kennedy never says talks had failed or that weapons building would stop, so B and C add ideas that are not in the text. D reverses sentence 1.
Tip: When a speaker reverses the same words (a device called chiasmus), ask what two errors are being ruled out. The purpose is usually a balanced middle position.
Question 16 of 36
President Eisenhower's Farewell Address (1961)
On January 17, 1961, three days before he left office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a farewell address on radio and television. Eisenhower was a retired five-star general who had commanded the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. Earlier in the speech, he said that a strong military was vital to keeping the peace. Then he added a warning.
(1) This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. …
(2) In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
(3) We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. …
(4) Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals …
In paragraph 2, Eisenhower warns against "the acquisition of unwarranted influence … by the military-industrial complex." As it is used here, unwarranted means
Hint
The prefix un- means "not." What does it mean for influence to be warranted?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
Step by step:
Warranted means justified or deserved (a "warrant" gives proper authority).
Un- means "not," so unwarranted means not justified.
The next sentence supports this: Eisenhower calls it "misplaced power"—power in the wrong place.
Answer: not justified or not deserved.
Check: "Unwanted" looks similar but is a different word; the phrase "whether sought or unsought" shows the issue is not whether anyone wants the influence, but whether it is proper.
Tip: Break a hard word into prefix + root, then confirm the meaning with a nearby clue (here, "misplaced power").
Question 17 of 36
President Eisenhower's Farewell Address (1961)
On January 17, 1961, three days before he left office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a farewell address on radio and television. Eisenhower was a retired five-star general who had commanded the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. Earlier in the speech, he said that a strong military was vital to keeping the peace. Then he added a warning.
(1) This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. …
(2) In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
(3) We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. …
(4) Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals …
Which statement best describes Eisenhower's point of view in this excerpt?
Hint
Use the introduction too: what did Eisenhower say earlier about the military? Then read his warning.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: The introduction says Eisenhower called a strong military "vital to keeping the peace." Paragraph 3: "We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes." Paragraph 4: "Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing …"
Step by step:
Eisenhower does not oppose a military; he had just praised it, and he was a former general.
His concern is balance: the new "conjunction" of a huge military and a large arms industry could gain too much influence.
His solution is citizens who are "alert and knowledgeable."
Answer: A strong defense is necessary, but citizens must make sure the military and the arms industry do not gain too much power.
Check: A is too extreme, B reverses his warning, and C contradicts paragraph 4, which gives the job to the "citizenry."
Tip: A warning about something is not the same as total opposition to it. Look for words that show a limited concern (guard against, never let … endanger).
Question 18 of 36
Two Presidents in Berlin (1963 and 1987)
In August 1961, communist East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from escaping to West Berlin. Two U.S. presidents later gave famous speeches in West Berlin, close to the wall.
Source A — President John F. Kennedy, June 26, 1963
(1) There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. …
(2) Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.
Source B — President Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987
By 1987, the Soviet leader, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, had begun reforms that loosened some government controls in the Soviet Union. Reagan spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a historic gateway that stood just behind the wall on the East German side.
(3) General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The wall was opened on November 9, 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990.
In Source B, Reagan speaks directly to Gorbachev: "if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity … if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate!" What is the most likely purpose of this part of the speech?
Hint
Read the italic introduction to Source B. What had Gorbachev begun to do?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: The introduction says Gorbachev "had begun reforms that loosened some government controls." Paragraph 3: "if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Step by step:
The repeated "if you seek …" names the goals Gorbachev claimed to want.
Reagan then names one visible action that would prove those goals: opening the gate and removing the wall.
So the purpose is a public challenge: show the world your reforms are real.
Answer: to publicly challenge the Soviet leader to prove his reforms were real by removing the wall.
Check: In 1987 the wall was still standing (it opened in 1989), so B is out of order. Reagan announces no U.S. action against the wall (A) and makes no military threat (D).
Tip: "If you … then do this" is a challenge structure. Ask what action would prove the speaker's point.
Question 19 of 36
The Korean War (1950–1953)
(1) At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel (a line of latitude). The Soviet Union backed a communist government in the north, and the United States backed a non-communist government in the south.
(2) On June 25, 1950, North Korea's army invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council called on member nations to help South Korea. The Soviet Union, which could have vetoed this action, was boycotting the Security Council at the time, so its delegate was not there to vote. President Harry S. Truman sent U.S. forces, which fought under a UN command led by General Douglas MacArthur. By August, North Korean troops had pushed UN and South Korean forces into a small area around the port of Pusan in the southeast.
(3) In September 1950, MacArthur landed troops by sea at Inchon, near Seoul, far behind North Korean lines. UN forces then pushed north across the 38th parallel toward the Yalu River, the border with China. Communist China warned that it would not accept enemy troops on its border. In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the war and drove UN forces back to the south.
(4) The fighting then settled into a bloody stalemate near the 38th parallel. MacArthur publicly called for attacking China itself, but Truman wanted to keep the war limited and avoid a wider war with China and the Soviet Union. In April 1951, Truman removed MacArthur from command. Truman did not use atomic weapons in Korea.
(5) An armistice (cease-fire) signed in July 1953 ended the fighting. The border stayed near the 38th parallel, with a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. No peace treaty was ever signed. About 36,000 Americans died in the war.
Based on the map and paragraph 3, why was the landing at Inchon in September 1950 such an important move?
Hint
Compare where Inchon is with where UN forces were trapped. How far apart are they?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 3: MacArthur "landed troops by sea at Inchon, near Seoul, far behind North Korean lines." The map shows Inchon on the west coast just south of the 38th parallel, while the Pusan Perimeter is in the far southeast.
Step by step:
In August, North Korean forces had pushed south almost to Pusan, so their lines stretched the length of South Korea.
Inchon is near Seoul, at the other end of South Korea from Pusan.
Landing there put UN troops behind the North Korean army, near the capital, cutting it off from the north.
Answer: It put UN troops far behind North Korean lines, near Seoul, on the opposite end of South Korea from Pusan.
Check: The map shows Inchon is not on the Yalu River (B) and not in China (C). Inchon is on the Yellow Sea, not near Japan (D).
Tip: Map + text questions usually need both: the text tells you what happened, the map tells you where, and the answer combines them.
Question 20 of 36
The Korean War (1950–1953)
(1) At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel (a line of latitude). The Soviet Union backed a communist government in the north, and the United States backed a non-communist government in the south.
(2) On June 25, 1950, North Korea's army invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council called on member nations to help South Korea. The Soviet Union, which could have vetoed this action, was boycotting the Security Council at the time, so its delegate was not there to vote. President Harry S. Truman sent U.S. forces, which fought under a UN command led by General Douglas MacArthur. By August, North Korean troops had pushed UN and South Korean forces into a small area around the port of Pusan in the southeast.
(3) In September 1950, MacArthur landed troops by sea at Inchon, near Seoul, far behind North Korean lines. UN forces then pushed north across the 38th parallel toward the Yalu River, the border with China. Communist China warned that it would not accept enemy troops on its border. In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the war and drove UN forces back to the south.
(4) The fighting then settled into a bloody stalemate near the 38th parallel. MacArthur publicly called for attacking China itself, but Truman wanted to keep the war limited and avoid a wider war with China and the Soviet Union. In April 1951, Truman removed MacArthur from command. Truman did not use atomic weapons in Korea.
(5) An armistice (cease-fire) signed in July 1953 ended the fighting. The border stayed near the 38th parallel, with a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. No peace treaty was ever signed. About 36,000 Americans died in the war.
According to paragraph 3, what most directly led China to send hundreds of thousands of soldiers into the Korean War in late 1950?
Hint
Find the sentence just before China entered the war. Where were UN forces heading?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 3: "UN forces then pushed north across the 38th parallel toward the Yalu River, the border with China. Communist China warned that it would not accept enemy troops on its border. In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the war."
Step by step:
Cause: UN forces crossed into North Korea and advanced toward the Yalu River.
China had warned it would not accept enemy troops on its border.
Effect: China entered the war and drove UN forces back south.
Answer: UN forces advanced north toward the Yalu River, China's border.
Check: A happened in 1953, after China entered (the order is wrong). C contradicts paragraph 4: Truman never used atomic weapons. D did happen (April 1951), but after China entered.
Tip: A cause must come before its effect. Put the dates of each choice in order to eliminate effects disguised as causes.
Question 21 of 36
Hot spotThe Nuclear Arms Race
(1) The United States used atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. In 1949 the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, and an arms race began. Each side built thousands of nuclear warheads and missiles to deliver them. Leaders came to believe that neither side would start a nuclear war because both would be destroyed—an idea called mutually assured destruction (MAD).
(2) The U.S. stockpile reached its all-time high of 31,255 warheads in 1967. The graph shows the size of the stockpile every five years from 1965 to 1995.
(3) The two sides also signed arms-control agreements. The Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water. SALT I (1972) limited certain missiles. The INF Treaty (1987) eliminated an entire class of intermediate-range missiles.
(4) The Cold War ended as communist governments in Eastern Europe fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke apart in December 1991. With the Soviet threat gone, the United States and Russia cut their arsenals sharply under the START I treaty (signed in 1991) and other agreements, and the United States retired thousands of warheads in the early 1990s.
Use the bar graph in "The Nuclear Arms Race."
Click the bar for the year that shows the largest decrease from the bar just before it.
Click on the figure to mark your answer (or focus it and use the arrow keys).
Hint
Subtract each bar from the one to its left. Which drop is biggest?
Answer: the 1995 bar. The stockpile fell by about half between 1990 and 1995.
Check: Paragraph 4 explains this drop: after the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, the United States "retired thousands of warheads in the early 1990s."
Tip: "Largest decrease" is about the change between bars, not the shortest bar. Write down each difference before you click.
Question 22 of 36
The Nuclear Arms Race
(1) The United States used atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. In 1949 the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, and an arms race began. Each side built thousands of nuclear warheads and missiles to deliver them. Leaders came to believe that neither side would start a nuclear war because both would be destroyed—an idea called mutually assured destruction (MAD).
(2) The U.S. stockpile reached its all-time high of 31,255 warheads in 1967. The graph shows the size of the stockpile every five years from 1965 to 1995.
(3) The two sides also signed arms-control agreements. The Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water. SALT I (1972) limited certain missiles. The INF Treaty (1987) eliminated an entire class of intermediate-range missiles.
(4) The Cold War ended as communist governments in Eastern Europe fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke apart in December 1991. With the Soviet threat gone, the United States and Russia cut their arsenals sharply under the START I treaty (signed in 1991) and other agreements, and the United States retired thousands of warheads in the early 1990s.
Based on the graph and paragraph 4, which development best explains the sharp drop in the U.S. stockpile between 1990 and 1995?
Hint
Read paragraph 4. What happened in 1991?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 4: "the Soviet Union broke apart in December 1991. With the Soviet threat gone, the United States and Russia cut their arsenals sharply under the START I treaty (signed in 1991) and other agreements." The graph shows the stockpile falling from 21,392 (1990) to 10,904 (1995).
Step by step:
The big drop falls between 1990 and 1995.
Paragraph 4 names events in exactly that period: the end of the Soviet Union (1991) and START I (1991).
These explain the cuts.
Answer: The Cold War ended, and arms-reduction agreements such as START I followed the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Check: The Limited Test Ban Treaty (A) was 1963 and banned certain tests, not stockpiles. SALT I (C) was 1972—too early to explain a 1990s drop. D is the cause of the arms race, not of its end.
Tip: To explain a change on a graph, look for an event in the text dated during that change.
Question 23 of 36
Drag and dropFrom Détente to the End of the Cold War
(1) In the early 1970s, the United States and the Soviet Union entered a period of détente, a relaxing of tensions. In February 1972, President Richard Nixon visited communist China, ending more than twenty years without formal contact. In May 1972, Nixon traveled to Moscow and signed SALT I, the first agreement to limit nuclear weapons. In 1975, the United States, the Soviet Union and 33 other nations signed the Helsinki Accords, which recognized Europe's borders and included promises to respect human rights.
(2) Détente ended in December 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. President Jimmy Carter responded by leading a U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. His successor, Ronald Reagan, called for a large military buildup, and in 1983 he proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a plan for a system to shoot down incoming missiles.
(3) In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader. He introduced glasnost ("openness"), which allowed more free speech, and perestroika ("restructuring"), which loosened government control of the economy. Reagan and Gorbachev met several times, and in December 1987 they signed the INF Treaty, which eliminated a whole class of nuclear missiles.
(4) In 1989, peaceful revolutions swept away communist governments across Eastern Europe, and the Berlin Wall was opened on November 9. Germany reunited in October 1990. In December 1991, the Soviet Union itself dissolved into 15 independent countries, and the Cold War was over.
A student is building a timeline of the late Cold War from the passage "From Détente to the End of the Cold War." Place each event in the box that shows when it happened relative to the others.
Happened first
Happened second
Happened third
Happened last
Tap a tile, then tap a box to place it.
Hint
Find the year for each event in the passage before you drag anything.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 1: Nixon visited China "In February 1972." Paragraph 2: "Détente ended in December 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan." Paragraph 3: "in December 1987 they signed the INF Treaty." Paragraph 4: "In December 1991, the Soviet Union itself dissolved."
Order:
Nixon visits China (1972)
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan (1979)
Reagan and Gorbachev sign the INF Treaty (1987)
Soviet Union dissolves (1991)
Check: The story moves from détente (1970s), to renewed tension (1979–early 1980s), to new cooperation under Gorbachev (late 1980s), to the end of the Cold War (1991).
Tip: Write the year next to each tile first. Then the order is just counting up.
Question 24 of 36
Drag and dropFrom Détente to the End of the Cold War
(1) In the early 1970s, the United States and the Soviet Union entered a period of détente, a relaxing of tensions. In February 1972, President Richard Nixon visited communist China, ending more than twenty years without formal contact. In May 1972, Nixon traveled to Moscow and signed SALT I, the first agreement to limit nuclear weapons. In 1975, the United States, the Soviet Union and 33 other nations signed the Helsinki Accords, which recognized Europe's borders and included promises to respect human rights.
(2) Détente ended in December 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. President Jimmy Carter responded by leading a U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. His successor, Ronald Reagan, called for a large military buildup, and in 1983 he proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a plan for a system to shoot down incoming missiles.
(3) In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader. He introduced glasnost ("openness"), which allowed more free speech, and perestroika ("restructuring"), which loosened government control of the economy. Reagan and Gorbachev met several times, and in December 1987 they signed the INF Treaty, which eliminated a whole class of nuclear missiles.
(4) In 1989, peaceful revolutions swept away communist governments across Eastern Europe, and the Berlin Wall was opened on November 9. Germany reunited in October 1990. In December 1991, the Soviet Union itself dissolved into 15 independent countries, and the Cold War was over.
Use "From Détente to the End of the Cold War." Drag each event into the correct category.
Eased Cold War tensions
Increased Cold War tensions
Tap a tile, then tap a box to place it.
Hint
Ask of each event: did it bring the two sides closer to agreement, or push them further apart?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence:
Paragraph 1: détente was "a relaxing of tensions"; SALT I was "the first agreement to limit nuclear weapons"; the Helsinki Accords were signed by both superpowers.
Paragraph 2: "Détente ended in December 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan"; the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics; Reagan "called for a large military buildup."
Paragraph 3: the INF Treaty "eliminated a whole class of nuclear missiles."
Sorting:
Eased tensions: SALT I (1972), Helsinki Accords (1975), INF Treaty (1987)
Increased tensions: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979), U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics (1980), Reagan's military buildup (1980s)
Check: All three "eased" items are agreements signed by both sides; all three "increased" items are actions one side took against the other.
Tip: Classify by what the event did, not by its date. The INF Treaty came in the 1980s, the same decade as the military buildup, but it eased tensions.
Question 25 of 36
In July 1975, an American Apollo spacecraft and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft docked together in orbit. The astronauts and cosmonauts shook hands, shared meals and carried out joint experiments—the first international human space mission.
This event is the best example of which Cold War idea?
Hint
Look at the year and at what the two rivals were doing together.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: The stem describes a 1975 mission in which the two rival superpowers worked together in space. Détente was the relaxing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union in the early and middle 1970s—the period of Nixon's visits to China and Moscow, SALT I (1972) and the Helsinki Accords (1975).
Step by step:
Date: 1975, in the middle of the détente period.
Action: cooperation between rivals, not competition or threat.
So it fits détente, a relaxing of tensions.
Answer: détente — a relaxing of tensions between the superpowers.
Check: The space race (A) was competition, but this mission was joint. Deterrence (C) uses threats, and brinkmanship (D) means pushing a crisis to the edge of war—both the opposite of a friendly handshake.
Tip: Test each concept with one question: Is this cooperation, competition or threat? Cooperation in the 1970s points to détente.
Question 26 of 36
Select allThe United States in Vietnam
(1) In 1954, after Vietnam won independence from France, it was divided into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam. That year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower explained why Southeast Asia mattered: "You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly."
(2) In August 1964, after reports of attacks on U.S. Navy ships, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. It stated: "That the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." Congress never formally declared war.
(3) Under President Lyndon B. Johnson, the number of U.S. troops grew rapidly. The Tet Offensive of early 1968 convinced many Americans that the war would not end soon. In 1969, President Richard Nixon began withdrawing troops under a policy called "Vietnamization," shifting the fighting to South Vietnam's army. A peace agreement was signed in 1973, and in 1975 North Vietnam captured Saigon and unified the country under communist rule. About 58,000 Americans died in the war.
Use the graph and the text in "The United States in Vietnam." Select all of the statements that are supported.
Select all that apply.
Hint
Check each number against the bar graph, and check each claim about causes or policies against paragraph 3.
Step-by-step solution
Check each statement:
A. Supported. The tallest bar is 1968, at about 536 thousand troops.
B. Supported. Paragraph 3: "In 1969, President Richard Nixon began withdrawing troops under a policy called 'Vietnamization.'" The graph shows the drop: 475 (1969) → 335 (1970) → 157 (1971) → 24 (1972) thousand.
C. Not supported. 1970 (335 thousand) is lower than 1966 (385 thousand).
D. Supported. The 1972 bar shows about 24 thousand—fewer than 25,000.
E. Not supported. Neither source gives public-opinion data for 1965. Paragraph 3 says the Tet Offensive of 1968 changed many minds, but that is a different year and does not say "most."
Answer: A, B and D.
Tip: In a "select all" item, prove every choice you pick with a number or a sentence. A statement about opinions, motives or feelings needs evidence just as much as a statement about numbers.
Question 27 of 36
President Kennedy on Soviet Missiles in Cuba (1962)
In October 1962, U.S. spy planes photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites being built in Cuba, about 90 miles from Florida. On October 22, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation on television.
(1) Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere. …
(2) First: To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation or port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. …
(3) Third: It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.
After thirteen tense days, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles. The United States promised not to invade Cuba and, secretly, agreed to remove its own missiles from Turkey.
Paragraph 3 of Kennedy's address is best described as an example of which Cold War strategy?
Hint
Kennedy is not attacking; he is warning what would happen if a missile were launched. Which strategy uses that kind of warning?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 3: "It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union."
Reasoning:Deterrence means preventing an attack by threatening a response so severe that the enemy will not risk it. Kennedy warns that any launch from Cuba would bring "a full retaliatory response" against the Soviet Union itself—so the Soviets would gain nothing by firing. That is deterrence. Détente (B) was the easing of tensions in the 1970s. Economic aid (C) describes the Marshall Plan. Isolationism (D) means staying out of world affairs, the opposite of this warning.
Answer: deterrence—discouraging an attack by threatening massive retaliation.
Tip: To apply a concept, first define each choice in a few words, then ask which definition matches the action in the source.
Question 28 of 36
Two Presidents in Berlin (1963 and 1987)
In August 1961, communist East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from escaping to West Berlin. Two U.S. presidents later gave famous speeches in West Berlin, close to the wall.
Source A — President John F. Kennedy, June 26, 1963
(1) There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. …
(2) Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.
Source B — President Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987
By 1987, the Soviet leader, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, had begun reforms that loosened some government controls in the Soviet Union. Reagan spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a historic gateway that stood just behind the wall on the East German side.
(3) General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The wall was opened on November 9, 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990.
Read Source A (Kennedy, 1963) and Source B (Reagan, 1987). Which idea do both sources share?
Hint
Both men spoke beside the same structure. What did each say or imply that the wall showed about communism?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence:
Source A, paragraph 2: "we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us."
Source B, paragraph 3: "if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! … Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Step by step:
Kennedy contrasts the free world with the communist side: only the communist side needed a wall to keep its people in.
Reagan says that if Gorbachev really wants freedom ("liberalization"), he should remove the wall—so the wall stands for the lack of freedom.
Both treat the Berlin Wall as a symbol of what was wrong with the communist system.
Answer: The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the lack of freedom under communism.
Check: A fits only Source B (Kennedy spoke in 1963, before Gorbachev). C contradicts Kennedy's words "democracy is not perfect." D is not stated by either.
Tip: For a "both sources" question, test every choice against each source separately. A choice that fits only one source is wrong.
Question 29 of 36
Select allTwo Presidents in Berlin (1963 and 1987)
In August 1961, communist East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from escaping to West Berlin. Two U.S. presidents later gave famous speeches in West Berlin, close to the wall.
Source A — President John F. Kennedy, June 26, 1963
(1) There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. …
(2) Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.
Source B — President Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987
By 1987, the Soviet leader, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, had begun reforms that loosened some government controls in the Soviet Union. Reagan spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a historic gateway that stood just behind the wall on the East German side.
(3) General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The wall was opened on November 9, 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990.
Use both sources in "Two Presidents in Berlin (1963 and 1987)." Select all of the statements that are supported.
Select all that apply.
Hint
Check each statement against the dates and the exact words of each source. Some choices change one small detail.
Step-by-step solution
Check each statement:
A. Supported. The wall was built in August 1961 (introduction); Kennedy spoke on June 26, 1963—about two years later.
B. Supported. Reagan links the gate to "if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate!"
C. Not supported. Kennedy says "democracy is not perfect."
D. Not supported. Reagan spoke in 1987; the wall was opened on November 9, 1989.
E. Supported. The introduction says both presidents "gave famous speeches in West Berlin, close to the wall."
Answer: A, B and E.
Check: Count the years for A (1963 − 1961 = 2) and compare the dates for D (1987 comes before 1989).
Tip: In select-all questions, judge each statement on its own. Dates in introductions and notes are part of the evidence.
Question 30 of 36
The Korean War (1950–1953)
(1) At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel (a line of latitude). The Soviet Union backed a communist government in the north, and the United States backed a non-communist government in the south.
(2) On June 25, 1950, North Korea's army invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council called on member nations to help South Korea. The Soviet Union, which could have vetoed this action, was boycotting the Security Council at the time, so its delegate was not there to vote. President Harry S. Truman sent U.S. forces, which fought under a UN command led by General Douglas MacArthur. By August, North Korean troops had pushed UN and South Korean forces into a small area around the port of Pusan in the southeast.
(3) In September 1950, MacArthur landed troops by sea at Inchon, near Seoul, far behind North Korean lines. UN forces then pushed north across the 38th parallel toward the Yalu River, the border with China. Communist China warned that it would not accept enemy troops on its border. In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the war and drove UN forces back to the south.
(4) The fighting then settled into a bloody stalemate near the 38th parallel. MacArthur publicly called for attacking China itself, but Truman wanted to keep the war limited and avoid a wider war with China and the Soviet Union. In April 1951, Truman removed MacArthur from command. Truman did not use atomic weapons in Korea.
(5) An armistice (cease-fire) signed in July 1953 ended the fighting. The border stayed near the 38th parallel, with a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. No peace treaty was ever signed. About 36,000 Americans died in the war.
The Soviet Union was a permanent member of the UN Security Council and could veto (block) its decisions. Based on paragraph 2, why was the Security Council able to call on members to help South Korea in 1950?
Hint
What was the Soviet delegate doing at the time?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: "The Soviet Union, which could have vetoed this action, was boycotting the Security Council at the time, so its delegate was not there to vote."
Step by step:
A veto lets one permanent member block a Security Council action.
The Soviet Union, an ally of North Korea, would likely have vetoed help for South Korea.
But the Soviets were boycotting the council, so no Soviet veto was cast, and the action went forward.
Answer: The Soviet delegate was boycotting the Security Council and was not present to cast a veto.
Check: A and D are not in the passage and are false. C confuses the Soviet Union with the United States: the Soviets backed North Korea.
Tip: When a question gives you background (like the veto rule), the answer usually explains how that rule was avoided or used. Look for the sentence that connects to it.
Question 31 of 36
The Korean War (1950–1953)
(1) At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel (a line of latitude). The Soviet Union backed a communist government in the north, and the United States backed a non-communist government in the south.
(2) On June 25, 1950, North Korea's army invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council called on member nations to help South Korea. The Soviet Union, which could have vetoed this action, was boycotting the Security Council at the time, so its delegate was not there to vote. President Harry S. Truman sent U.S. forces, which fought under a UN command led by General Douglas MacArthur. By August, North Korean troops had pushed UN and South Korean forces into a small area around the port of Pusan in the southeast.
(3) In September 1950, MacArthur landed troops by sea at Inchon, near Seoul, far behind North Korean lines. UN forces then pushed north across the 38th parallel toward the Yalu River, the border with China. Communist China warned that it would not accept enemy troops on its border. In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the war and drove UN forces back to the south.
(4) The fighting then settled into a bloody stalemate near the 38th parallel. MacArthur publicly called for attacking China itself, but Truman wanted to keep the war limited and avoid a wider war with China and the Soviet Union. In April 1951, Truman removed MacArthur from command. Truman did not use atomic weapons in Korea.
(5) An armistice (cease-fire) signed in July 1953 ended the fighting. The border stayed near the 38th parallel, with a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. No peace treaty was ever signed. About 36,000 Americans died in the war.
According to paragraph 4, Truman refused to attack China, did not use atomic weapons, and removed MacArthur for publicly calling for a wider war. Truman's approach in Korea is the best example of which Cold War idea?
Hint
Truman wanted to stop communism from taking South Korea—but without what?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 4: "Truman wanted to keep the war limited and avoid a wider war with China and the Soviet Union," and "Truman did not use atomic weapons in Korea." Paragraph 5: the border "stayed near the 38th parallel."
Step by step:
Goal: stop the spread of communism into South Korea. That is containment.
Method: fight only in Korea, without attacking China or using atomic weapons. That is a limited war.
Result: South Korea stayed non-communist, and the border returned to about where it began.
Answer: containment through a limited war—stopping communism's spread without risking a wider war.
Check: Isolationism (A) means staying out of foreign wars, but Truman sent troops. Massive retaliation (C) is the opposite of his restraint. Détente (D) is the 1970s easing of tensions, not a war.
Tip: Match each part of the description to a definition: what the goal was and how far the leader was willing to go.
Question 32 of 36
Fill inThe Nuclear Arms Race
(1) The United States used atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. In 1949 the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, and an arms race began. Each side built thousands of nuclear warheads and missiles to deliver them. Leaders came to believe that neither side would start a nuclear war because both would be destroyed—an idea called mutually assured destruction (MAD).
(2) The U.S. stockpile reached its all-time high of 31,255 warheads in 1967. The graph shows the size of the stockpile every five years from 1965 to 1995.
(3) The two sides also signed arms-control agreements. The Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water. SALT I (1972) limited certain missiles. The INF Treaty (1987) eliminated an entire class of intermediate-range missiles.
(4) The Cold War ended as communist governments in Eastern Europe fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke apart in December 1991. With the Soviet threat gone, the United States and Russia cut their arsenals sharply under the START I treaty (signed in 1991) and other agreements, and the United States retired thousands of warheads in the early 1990s.
Use the bar graph in "The Nuclear Arms Race."
By about what percent did the U.S. nuclear stockpile decrease from 1990 to 1995? Round to the nearest whole percent.
%
Type your answer in the box. Fractions like 3/4 are fine.
Hint
Percent change = (change ÷ starting value) × 100. The starting value is the 1990 number.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence (from the graph): 1990: 21,392 warheads; 1995: 10,904 warheads.
Step by step:
Find the change: 21,392 − 10,904 = 10,488 warheads.
Divide by the starting (1990) value: 10,488 ÷ 21,392 ≈ 0.490.
Multiply by 100: about 49%.
Answer: 49 (a decrease of about 49%).
Check: 49% is close to one-half, and 10,904 is close to half of 21,392 (which would be 10,696). The answer makes sense. A common error is dividing by the 1995 value (10,488 ÷ 10,904 ≈ 96%), which uses the wrong starting point.
Tip: For percent decrease, always divide by the earlier (original) value, not the later one.
Question 33 of 36
Drop-downFrom Détente to the End of the Cold War
(1) In the early 1970s, the United States and the Soviet Union entered a period of détente, a relaxing of tensions. In February 1972, President Richard Nixon visited communist China, ending more than twenty years without formal contact. In May 1972, Nixon traveled to Moscow and signed SALT I, the first agreement to limit nuclear weapons. In 1975, the United States, the Soviet Union and 33 other nations signed the Helsinki Accords, which recognized Europe's borders and included promises to respect human rights.
(2) Détente ended in December 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. President Jimmy Carter responded by leading a U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. His successor, Ronald Reagan, called for a large military buildup, and in 1983 he proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a plan for a system to shoot down incoming missiles.
(3) In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader. He introduced glasnost ("openness"), which allowed more free speech, and perestroika ("restructuring"), which loosened government control of the economy. Reagan and Gorbachev met several times, and in December 1987 they signed the INF Treaty, which eliminated a whole class of nuclear missiles.
(4) In 1989, peaceful revolutions swept away communist governments across Eastern Europe, and the Berlin Wall was opened on November 9. Germany reunited in October 1990. In December 1991, the Soviet Union itself dissolved into 15 independent countries, and the Cold War was over.
Use "From Détente to the End of the Cold War" to complete the paragraph.
In the 1970s, a period of brought agreements such as SALT I. In the late 1980s, Gorbachev's policy of allowed more free speech, and his policy of loosened government control of the economy.
Choose an answer from each menu.
Hint
Each term is defined in the passage, in parentheses or right after a comma.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence:
Paragraph 1: "détente, a relaxing of tensions."
Paragraph 3: "glasnost ("openness"), which allowed more free speech, and perestroika ("restructuring"), which loosened government control of the economy."
Answers:
détente — the 1970s relaxing of tensions that produced SALT I.
glasnost — openness; more free speech.
perestroika — restructuring; economic reform.
Check: Containment was the U.S. policy of stopping communism's spread, which began in the 1940s. SDI was a missile-defense plan, not a Soviet reform. Glasnost and perestroika are easy to swap: remember glas- = voice (speech) and pere- = re- (restructuring).
Tip: On the GED, vocabulary is often defined right in the passage. Scan for parentheses, dashes or a comma followed by "a …".
Question 34 of 36
The United States in Vietnam
(1) In 1954, after Vietnam won independence from France, it was divided into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam. That year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower explained why Southeast Asia mattered: "You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly."
(2) In August 1964, after reports of attacks on U.S. Navy ships, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. It stated: "That the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." Congress never formally declared war.
(3) Under President Lyndon B. Johnson, the number of U.S. troops grew rapidly. The Tet Offensive of early 1968 convinced many Americans that the war would not end soon. In 1969, President Richard Nixon began withdrawing troops under a policy called "Vietnamization," shifting the fighting to South Vietnam's army. A peace agreement was signed in 1973, and in 1975 North Vietnam captured Saigon and unified the country under communist rule. About 58,000 Americans died in the war.
Which conclusion is best supported by the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (paragraph 2) and the graph?
Hint
First decide what power the resolution gave and to whom. Then compare the 1964 bar to the bars that follow.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence: Paragraph 2: Congress "approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures," and "Congress never formally declared war." Graph: about 23 thousand troops at the end of 1964, rising to 184 (1965), 385 (1966), 486 (1967) and 536 thousand (1968).
Step by step:
The resolution gave the president broad power ("all necessary measures") without a declaration of war.
After 1964, troops rose quickly: 536 \div 23 \approx 23, so more than twenty times as many by 1968.
Check the distractors: B is false (no declaration); C misreads the graph (the peak was 1968, and 1972 was nearly as low as 1964); D contradicts the graph's sharp rise.
Answer: After Congress gave the president broad authority, U.S. troop levels grew more than twentyfold in four years.
Background: Concern that presidents had used such authority too freely led Congress to pass the War Powers Resolution in 1973, requiring the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into combat and to withdraw them after 60 days without congressional approval.
Tip: A conclusion that uses two sources must match each one. Eliminate any choice that contradicts even one detail.
Question 35 of 36
President Eisenhower's Farewell Address (1961)
On January 17, 1961, three days before he left office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a farewell address on radio and television. Eisenhower was a retired five-star general who had commanded the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. Earlier in the speech, he said that a strong military was vital to keeping the peace. Then he added a warning.
(1) This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. …
(2) In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
(3) We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. …
(4) Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals …
Eisenhower gave his farewell address on January 17, 1961. Three days later, in his Inaugural Address, President John F. Kennedy said:
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
Which statement best describes how the main concerns of the two presidents differ?
Hint
Ask of each speech: Is the danger mainly outside the country or inside it? What does each speaker ask people to do?
Step-by-step solution
Evidence:
Kennedy (quoted in the question): "we shall pay any price, bear any burden … oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
Eisenhower, paragraph 2: "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence … by the military-industrial complex," and paragraph 3: "never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties."
Step by step:
Kennedy looks outward: the United States must defend liberty around the world.
Eisenhower looks inward: the size of the defense establishment itself could threaten liberty at home.
Both care about liberty, but they focus on different dangers.
Answer: Kennedy stresses a commitment to defend liberty around the world, while Eisenhower warns that the defense establishment could threaten liberty at home.
Check: A swaps the speakers' ideas. C invents a disagreement about negotiation that neither excerpt states. D is false: neither excerpt calls for cutting defense spending.
Tip: In two-source questions, write a three-word label for each source first ("defend liberty abroad" / "watch defense at home"); then wrong answers that swap the labels are easy to spot.
Question 36 of 36
The Red Scare: Two Views
(1) In 1949, the Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb and communists won the civil war in China. Spy cases made many Americans fear that communists were working inside the United States. In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union; they were executed in 1953. Starting in 1947, a federal loyalty program screened government employees, and a committee of the House of Representatives held hearings on communist influence in Hollywood and elsewhere.
(2) In February 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin claimed to have a list of communists working in the State Department. He never proved his charges, but many people across the country lost their jobs after being accused, often with little evidence. In December 1954, after televised hearings, the Senate voted to condemn McCarthy's conduct.
Viewpoint 1 — a letter to a newspaper, 1950, by a factory owner in Ohio (fictional)
(3) The Soviet Union now has the atomic bomb, and spies helped it get there. We cannot afford to be careless. If some innocent people must answer questions about their loyalty, that is a small price for keeping our country safe.
Viewpoint 2 — a letter to a newspaper, 1954, by a schoolteacher in Pennsylvania (fictional)
(4) No one denies that Soviet spies exist, and real spies should be caught and punished. But when a teacher can lose her job because a neighbor repeats a rumor, we are fighting communism with the methods of a police state. The Bill of Rights protects the innocent and the accused alike.
Read both viewpoints in "The Red Scare: Two Views." On which point would both writers most likely agree?
Hint
Find a sentence in Viewpoint 2 that admits something Viewpoint 1 also believes.
Step-by-step solution
Evidence:
Viewpoint 1, paragraph 3: "The Soviet Union now has the atomic bomb, and spies helped it get there. We cannot afford to be careless."
Viewpoint 2, paragraph 4: "No one denies that Soviet spies exist, and real spies should be caught and punished."
Step by step:
Writer 1 thinks spying is a serious danger and supports loyalty investigations even if some innocent people are questioned.
Writer 2 agrees that spies exist and should be punished, but objects to punishing people based on rumors.
Their shared ground: Soviet spying was a real threat. They disagree about the methods used to fight it.
Answer: Soviet spying was a real danger that the country needed to address.
Check: A is Writer 1's view only; Writer 2 calls it the method of "a police state." B fits Writer 2 only. D contradicts paragraph 2: McCarthy "never proved his charges."
Tip: Opposing writers often agree on the problem and disagree on the solution. Look for a concession phrase such as "No one denies …"
