Question

Read the passage from a speech by Winston Churchill.

“An iron curtain has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe . . . all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow [the Soviet capital].”

–Winston Churchill,
March 5, 1946

Which of the following most accurately restates what Churchill was saying?

The world needs to maintain peaceful relations with the nations of Central and Eastern Europe.
The Soviet Union has taken control of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
People who live in cities in Central and Eastern Europe have begun to use iron curtains.
The United States should invade Central and Eastern Europe to stop the spread of communism.

Answer 1

The Soviet Union has taken control of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Explanation: Churchill’s “iron curtain” metaphor describes those countries falling under Soviet influence and control from Moscow.