During World War II, the British employed a team of mathematicians, including Alan Turing, to break German military codes. The intelligence gathered from their work, codenamed 'Ultra,' provided crucial information about enemy movements and strategies. Historians estimate that the codebreakers shortened the war by approximately two years.
The passage suggests that
all World War II battles were won through codebreaking
intellectual contributions can have significant military impact
Germany was unaware that its codes were being broken
the war would have ended at the same time without the codebreakers
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. Mathematicians' work significantly shortened the war.
- Context clues: Codebreakers provided "crucial information" and shortened the war by "approximately two years."
- Meaning: Academic work having such military impact shows intellectual contributions matter.
- Verify: The estimate of two years saved demonstrates significant impact.
💡 Strategy: When specific contributions lead to measurable outcomes, infer the broader significance.
Choice A is incorrect because the passage doesn't claim all battles were won through codebreaking. Choice C is incorrect because the passage doesn't address German awareness. Choice D is incorrect because the war was shortened by two years.