V30-01

Question

The existence of West Berlin, a conspicuously capitalist city deep within communist East Germany, "stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat," as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev put it! The Russians began maneuvering to drive the United States, Britain and France out of the city for good. In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the western Allies out of the city. Instead of retreating, however, the United States and its allies supplied their sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the Berlin Airlift, lasted for more than a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin. The Soviets called off the blockade in 1949.
 
    After a decade of relative calm, tensions flared again in 1958. For the next three years, the Soviets emboldened by the successful launch of the Sputnik satellite the year before and embarrassed by the seemingly endless flow of refugees from east to west (nearly 3 million in the decade since 1948, many of them young skilled workers such as doctors, teachers and engineers) blustered and made threats, while the Allies resisted. Summits, conferences and other negotiations came and went without resolution. Meanwhile, the flood of refugees continued. In June 1961, some 19,000 people left the GDR through Berlin. The following month, 30,000 fled. In the first 11 days of August, 16,000 East Germans crossed the border into West Berlin, and on August 12 some 2,400 followed the largest number of defectors ever to leave East Germany in a single day.

What is the primary purpose of the passage?

A. Trace the existence of West Berlin within Soviet Germany
B. Explain the significance of the Berlin Airlift in the middle of the 20th century
C. Examine the success of the Soviets in launching the Sputnik satellite and its impact on its relationship with the West
D. Describe the measures used by the Soviets and their failures to protect West Berlin from western influences
E. Evaluate how many defectors left East Germany through a decade

souvik101990 · Answer

Official Solution:

The existence of West Berlin, a conspicuously capitalist city deep within communist East Germany, "stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat," as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev put it! The Russians began maneuvering to drive the United States, Britain and France out of the city for good. In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the western Allies out of the city. Instead of retreating, however, the United States and its allies supplied their sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the Berlin Airlift, lasted for more than a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin. The Soviets called off the blockade in 1949.
 
    After a decade of relative calm, tensions flared again in 1958. For the next three years, the Soviets emboldened by the successful launch of the Sputnik satellite the year before and embarrassed by the seemingly endless flow of refugees from east to west (nearly 3 million in the decade since 1948, many of them young skilled workers such as doctors, teachers and engineers) blustered and made threats, while the Allies resisted. Summits, conferences and other negotiations came and went without resolution. Meanwhile, the flood of refugees continued. In June 1961, some 19,000 people left the GDR through Berlin. The following month, 30,000 fled. In the first 11 days of August, 16,000 East Germans crossed the border into West Berlin, and on August 12 some 2,400 followed the largest number of defectors ever to leave East Germany in a single day.

What is the primary purpose of the passage?

A. Trace the existence of West Berlin within Soviet Germany
B. Explain the significance of the Berlin Airlift in the middle of the 20th century
C. Examine the success of the Soviets in launching the Sputnik satellite and its impact on its relationship with the West
D. Describe the measures used by the Soviets and their failures to protect West Berlin from western influences
E. Evaluate how many defectors left East Germany through a decade

The main idea of the passage is to explain the attempts of the Soviets to keep defectors from leaving the East. The passage also elaborates the outcomes of their plan. Option D correctly identifies the primary purpose.

Answer: D

spetznaz · Answer

Option D talks about western influences. What are those influences ? Can someone please explain ?? The passage talks about immigration , but it doesn't talk about any influence ? Or am I missing something ??

NAvinash · Answer

workout ,  souvik101990 , Could you please help to understand why choice A is incorrect ? Throughout the passage , it is discussed how West Berlin is evolved ? What does choice A means then ? I thought choice A talks more around trace of West Berlin.

zhanbo · Answer

I cannot agree that (D) can be the right answer. It might need some revision in order to be deemed a plausible choice.

Indeed, "the main idea of the passage is to explain the attempts of the Soviets to keep defectors from leaving the East." But that does not equates to "Describe the measures used by the Soviets and their failures to protect West Berlin from western influences." I am especially troubled by the assertion that the Soviets have any intention to protect  West Berlin from western influences . Did you mean to say  "Eastern Berlin"  instead? Western Berlin have been under western influences / protections all along.

MahmoudFawzy · Answer

Choice D, for sure, is a WRONG answer.

"  The Russians began maneuvering to drive the United States, Britain and France out of the city for good  ". This part of the passage clearly mentions that "United States, Britain and France" are already  INSIDE  the city, protecting it from the Russians who are the desperate attackers from  OUTSIDE .

"To protect" is to prevent something from entering. But to kick something outside is "to liberate" or "to free".
Do we "protect" an ill person from illness? or "treat"?

sknancydrew · Answer

I also chose the option A on the basis of the first sentence. However, the entire passage is focused on driving the western allies out of West Germany either through blockades, starving their western allies, threats, summits, conferences and other negotiations.
The word influences is confusing but D seems better option than the others.

IamPossible · Answer

Option D does not make sense.
“To influence” implies that an external force is changing something on an object.
West Berlin, as stated in the passage, is an Allied territory. How is ut logical that the Allied is making West Berlin “more Allied”?
And why does the Soviet “protect” West Berlin? West Berlin was an Allied territory, not a Soviet territory (and historically never a Soviet territory). 
Even by PoE, option D should be eliminated in favour of A (A isn’t a perfect answer either).

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SiffyB · Answer

Hi  zhanbo ,

This answer choice (D) does not state that the Soviets were feeling protective about West Berlin and, hence, went ahead and tried to drive the westen influences out of West Berlin. This sentence is not meant to be taken in its literal sense. IMO, since the Soviets are against all things capitalist, they wanted to free West Berlin of capitalism and establish communism there.

Yes, western influences were already there, but they could be ushered out, making west Berlin "safe" again -> hence, protecting it.
The point you are making is akin to saying that just because a person is suffering from depression, we will not treat her and try to heal her because she has been suffering from it since a long time. She could always be treated and cured!

SiffyB · Answer

Hi  NAvinash ,

I'm happy to help!

Choice (A) uses recycled language taken straight from the opening sentence of the passage and dupes us into marking it the correct answer choice. Sure, many dates are referenced in the passage, making it seem like the existence of West Germany is being traced. However, it is not true. 
What is the main reason/motivation behind wriitng this article was to explain measures that the Soviets took. The second sentence onwards, the entire passage talks about what all the Soviets did, however, the (A) does not refer to this aspect of the Soviets even once.
Does that not seem off? 
(D) fits the bill because it clearly talks about the what all the Soviets did to drive out the capitalist powers and how they failed at it. (failure stated towards the end of the passage)

DanTe02 · Answer

The primary purpose of the passage is why was western berlin a bone in soviet's throat in crux (Well Atleast I.M.O)
Among the answer choices its a cllose call btw A and D. D fits the structure of the paragraph but honestly it isnt the primary purpose even though the best in the lot

ISHAAN96 · Answer

I think this is a  poor-quality  question and the explanation isn't clear enough, please elaborate.

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