Question

Read this excerpt from an encyclopedia article about the Cold War.

Another intense stage of the Cold War was in 1958–62. The United States and the Soviet Union began developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, and in 1962 the Soviets began secretly installing missiles in cuba that could be used to launch nuclear attacks on U.S. cities. This sparked the Cuban missile crisis (1962), a confrontation that brought the two superpowers to the brink of war before an agreement was reached to withdraw the missiles.

Which type of media would best help readers understand the information in the excerpt?

an aerial photograph that shows the Soviet Union’s missile sites in Cuba
a chart that compares the populations of the United States and Cuba in 1950 and 1960
a timeline that traces the relationship between the United States and Cuba in the 20th century
a graph that compares the range of Soviet Union missiles with the range of US missiles

Answer 1

a graph that compares the range of Soviet Union missiles with the range of US missiles

This best illustrates why missiles placed in Cuba were such a threat — it shows which U.S. cities could be reached and helps explain the crisis described.