Question

determine the central idea

in the half-century that has since elapsed, a fundamental shift of the international balance has taken place, with the sites of power spreading outward from europe to the periphery. the governing seat vacated by the collapse of britain has been taken - not without kicking and protesting against our fate - by this country.

• \how we entered world war i,\

barbara tuchman

which of the following statements best paraphrases the central idea of this paragraph?

• world power shifted from central europe to bordering countries.
• britain and the united states are the worlds two dominant powers.
• britain was upset when the united states became an important world power.
• the united states replaced britain as a leader in international affairs.

Explanation:

Analyze the source text

The passage states that a fundamental shift in international balance occurred, with power spreading outward from Europe to the periphery. Specifically, it mentions that the governing seat vacated by the collapse of Britain has been taken by "this country" (referring to the United States, as indicated by the title "How We Entered World War I" and the context of the quote).

Evaluate the options

• Option 1 ("World power shifted from central Europe to bordering countries"): Incorrect. The text mentions Europe generally and the periphery, but focuses specifically on the transition from Britain to "this country."
• Option 2 ("Britain and the United States are the world's two dominant powers"): Incorrect. The text describes a transition of power from Britain to "this country," not a shared dominance.
• Option 3 ("Britain was upset when the United States became an important world power"): Incorrect. While it mentions "not without kicking and protesting against our fate," this is a minor detail/reaction rather than the central idea of the global power shift.
• Option 4 ("The United States replaced Britain as a leader in international affairs"): Correct. This directly paraphrases the main point that the governing seat vacated by Britain has been taken over by "this country" (the United States).

Answer:

• World power shifted from central Europe to bordering countries.
• Britain and the United States are the world's two dominant powers.
• Britain was upset when the United States became an important world power.
• The United States replaced Britain as a leader in international affairs. (Correct answer)