Question

in 1989 the communist party spokesperson of east germany made a startling proclamation: after nearly three decades, germans would be allowed to travel with complete freedom between east and west berlin. the announcement was actually erroneous. the government had intended a more modest change, but the party leader fumbled in reading the press release and gave the impression that citizens could immediately cross the border. thousands of east germans thronged to the berlin wall, waiting to pass through the gates that had barred them from the western half of their city for 28 years. some did not even wait for the gates to open. they arrived with hammers and picks to tear away at the concrete barrier. the tide had turned, and a new era had begun.

what does erroneous mean as it is used above?

• typical
• planned
• mistaken

Explanation:

The context shows the East German government meant a modest change, but the spokesperson's announcement gave the wrong impression of immediate, full border freedom. "Erroneous" here describes that the announcement was not the intended, correct message, matching the meaning of "mistaken".

Answer:

mistaken