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Cold War Quiz

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following was a direct result of the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1?

a)

The United States began a period of technology sharing with the Soviet Union.

b)

The U.S. government founded a federal agency dedicated to space exploration.

c)

The Soviet Union was unable to collect images of the United States from space.

d)

The Soviet government collapsed because of economic competition.

2.

As a result of the Berlin Airlift, the United States was able to -

a)

bypass a Soviet blockade without provoking a military conflict

b)

transport Polish refugees to safety

c)

prevent the Nazi Party from reorganizing

d)

intimidate Soviet leaders by demonstrating superior military power

3.

Which of the following resulted from McCarthyism during the 1950s?

a)

Membership in the U.S. Communist Party increased

b)

U.S. citizens were arrested for being suspected communists

c)

Recruitment procedures for the U.S. military branches were reformed

d)

U.S. diplomats began to express dissenting political viewpoints more freely

4.

Senator Joseph McCarthy is best known for his involvement in -

a)

the war effort of the 1940s

b)

the Red Scare of the 1950s

c)

the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s

d)

the political scandals of the 1970s

5.

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later renamed the March of Dimes, was established in 1938 and . . . was a grassroots campaign run primarily by volunteers. Over the years, millions of people gave small amounts of money to support both the care of people who got ____1____ and research into prevention and treatment. Those contributions financed Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin, and the other researchers who developed the . . . ____2____ that children around the world receive today.


—“March of Dimes,” National Museum of American History, www.americanhistory.si.edu/ (accessed July 19, 2012)


Which words correctly complete this excerpt?

a)

1: chicken pox, 2: antibiotics

b)

1: tuberculosis, 2: iron lung treatment

c)

1: polio, 2: vaccines

d)

1: whooping cough, 2: serum

6.

Which numbered pair of phrases best completes this diagram?

a)

(1) Increased urban decay; (2) Increased leisure time

b)

(1) Increased demand for housing; (2) Increased deforestation

c)

(1) Increased demand for automobiles; (2) Increased labor union membership

d)

(1) Increased immigration; (2) Increased racial tension

7.

Trends of the 1950s

- Expansion of the middle class

- Development of the interstate highway system

- Growth of suburbs


The trends in this list all occurred as a result of —

a)

an increase in immigration after World War II

b)

the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

c)

reductions in peacetime defense spending

d)

economic prosperity following World War II

8.

Which quotation from President Harry S. Truman offers a reason for U.S. involvement in the conflict between North Korea and South Korea?

a)

“The United Nations cannot . . . fulfil adequately its own responsibilities until the peace settlements have been made. . . .”

b)

“Above all else, we want to keep the United States prosperous and strong because we know that our prosperity is the best guarantee of peace.”

c)

“Communism has passed beyond the use of subversion . . . and will now use armed invasion and war.”

d)

“As a result of these tragic conditions, a militant minority, exploiting human want and misery . . . has made economic recovery impossible.”

9.

The introduction of vaccines to the United States helped —

a)

limit the risk in consuming imported produce

b)

improve the hygiene of medical procedures

c)

improve the quality of the water supply

d)

limit the spread of infectious diseases

10.

Jobs such as the ones described in this 1956 advertisement became available

because —

a)

federal law required private businesses to recruit for the military

b)

weak college programs had produced few scientists qualified for high-level research

c)

Cold War defense programs had spurred technological innovation

d)

most U.S. citizens opposed the development of atomic weapons

11.

During the 1950s the federal government funded educational initiatives in math and

science in response to —

a)

the development of the ENIAC computer

b)

the announcement of international education guidelines

c)

the successful launch of the first artificial satellite

d)

the discovery of new chemical elements

12.

Cartoons such as this one took the position that deportation was necessary

a)

assimilation programs in the United States had been unsuccessful

b)

economic decline had increased the competition for jobs

c)

communists were infiltrating the United States

d)

political machines had too much power in urban areas

13.

Which of the following best completes the post–World War II diagram above?

a)

Dependence on agriculture

b)

Movement to the suburbs

c)

Fear of communism

d)

Emphasis on science education

14.

The data presented on this graph illustrate an economic effect of —

a)

the rapid demobilization of U.S. defense industries after World War II

b)

the federal domestic programs created as part of the Great Society

c)

incentives offered under the Bracero Program to temporary laborers

d)

assistance offered by the GI Bill to soldiers returning from World War II

15.

The 1943 Hollywood movie Song of Russia was produced with the encouragement of the Office of War Information (OWI). At the time the movie was made, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies in the fight against Nazi Germany. The movie tells the story of an American conductor who falls in love with a Russian pianist just before World War II. Together they spend time in an idealized version of the Soviet Union. When the Nazis invade, they join Soviet villagers in the resistance.


Which group later investigated the political ideology and actions of many people associated with this film?

a)

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

b)

The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services

c)

The House Un-American Activities Committee

d)

The Motion Picture Association of America

16.

What is the best title for this cartoon?

a)

Causes and Effects of Economic Prosperity in the 1950s

b)

Strengths and Weaknesses of Government Economic Policy in the 1960s

c)

Reasons for Government Economic Planning in the 1970s

d)

Major Sources of Consumer Debt in the 1980s

17.

Which of these is an effect rock and roll had on society in the United States in the 1950s?

a)

It reminded people of prewar days.

b)

It contributed to a cultural divide between generations.

c)

It increased the fear of communist expansion.

d)

It promoted values learned during times of economic hardship.

18.

Which of these best explains the change in money spent at the movies from 1946 to1965?

a)

An increase in unemployment

b)

The popularity of television

c)

A decrease in urban population

d)

The resurgence of fundamentalism

19.

Selected Aspects of the U. S. Economy, 1950 - 1960

- Civilian employment grew from 59.7 million to 66.4 million.

- The gross domestic product (GDP) increased 39 percent.

- The average family income increased 57.9 percent.


The changes described in this list contributed most directly to —

a)

a decline in home ownership rates

b)

a rise in the number of business failures

c)

a decrease in federal employment opportunities

d)

an increase in consumer spending

20.

Which sentence best complete this diagram?

a)

The president authorizes a military strike against forces threatening the borders of Western Europe.

b)

Congress appropriates funding for nuclear arms facilities in Western Europe.

c)

The president signs a treaty requiring reparations to be paid to Western European countries.

d)

Congress passes a bill to provide financial assistance to Western European countries.