The following passage is from a speech given by President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. At the time, Germany was divided between West Germany, allied with the United States, and East Germany, allied with the Soviet Union, led by Russia. The city of Berlin was also split in two, physically divided by the Berlin Wall. Read the passage. Then, answer the question(s).

Question

(1) … Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, those barrierscut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete, dog runs, and guard towers. Farther south, there may be no visible, no obvious wall. But there remain armed guards and checkpoints all the same—still a restriction on the right to travel, still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian state. Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world. Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar.…

(2) … And now the Soviets themselves may, in a limited way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom. We hear much from Moscow about a new policy of reform and openness. Some political prisoners have been released. Certain foreign news broadcasts are no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted to operate with greater freedom from state control. Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state? Or are they token gestures, intended to raise false hopes in the West, or to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it? We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.…

(3) … There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. 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!

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1General Secretary Gorbachev: leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. Gorbachev led a movement to reform and liberalize Soviet government and society.

Multiple Choice Question
Reagan uses the word gash in the first paragraph of this speech. In each sentence below, the underlined word shares the same denotation, or general literal meaning, as gash: “deep cut.” Which underlined word has connotations most clearly opposite to gash as Reagan uses it in his speech? Base your answer on context.
A.
A laceration that deep should be treated with antibiotics.
B.
To begin the operation, the surgeon made an incision in the patient.
C.
With a gouge like that in the door, the car is worth much less.
D.
The cat made a slash in the cushions that let the stuffing out.

Answer 1

The word "gash" in Reagan's speech refers to a deep cut that symbolizes the division caused by the Berlin Wall. To find a word with connotations opposite to "gash," we need to look for a word that implies a more controlled or precise cut rather than one that signifies damage or violence.

Let's analyze the options:

A. "A laceration that deep should be treated with antibiotics." - This implies a form of damage similar to "gash."

B. "To begin the operation, the surgeon made an incision in the patient." - "Incision" has a more precise, medical connotation, suggesting controlled cutting rather than damage.

C. "With a gouge like that in the door, the car is worth much less." - "Gouge" also implies damage and is similar to "gash."

D. "The cat made a slash in the cushions that let the stuffing out." - "Slash" also implies damage.

Given this analysis, option B, "incision," has connotations that are most clearly opposite to "gash" as it suggests precision and a controlled act rather than the chaotic or damaging implication of "gash."

So the correct answer is: B. To begin the operation, the surgeon made an incision in the patient.