U.S. ATTACKEDb y N.R. Kleinfield

PART A: Which of the following identifies one of the central ideas of the text?

• When the Twin Towers collapsed, people who witnessed the violence went into a rage, because they knew the incident was an act of terrorism

• The initial moment when the planes struck the Twin Towers triggered the most fear from the public and caused the most damage

• When the Twin Towers were initially hit by the planes, people were not afraid, but rather confused about what was going on

• The attack on the Twin Towers caused widespread fear and chaos throughout New York City, as people struggled to understand the attack

PART B: Which TWO details from the text best support the answer to Part A?

• “‘I saw this plane screaming overhead,’ he said. ‘I thought it was too low. I thought it wasn’t going to clear the tower.’” ( Paragraph 8)

• “The plane slammed into the north face of 1 World Trade Center. As he watched, he said, ‘You could see the concussion move up the building.’” ( Paragraph 9)

• “‘People were getting stomped on under the crowd. I saw a lady with no shoes, her feet were bleeding. I was probably in there for about 10 minutes, and I was hysterical.’” ( Paragraph 29)

• “Then a calm set in again. For blocks around, all the way up to 14th Street, the sidewalks were a mass of people, eerily quiet, for the incomprehension had struck them mute.” ( Paragraph 32)

• “Police officers warned people in the vicinity to move north, that the buildings could fall, but most people found that unthinkable. They stayed put or gravitated closer.” ( Paragraph 42)

PART A: How does the author’s use of first-person accounts of September 11th advance the overall purpose of the article?

• It emphasizes the severity of the attack

• It establishes who committed the attacks and why

• It establishes who committed the attacks and why

• It shows how fearless people were during the attack

PART B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “‘I tried to get them in the center of the office. About 40 people. I led them to the hall down the steps.’” ( Paragraph 21)

• “‘I saw two people jump out,’ she said. ‘It was horrible. I felt I was in a bad nightmare.’” ( Paragraph 31)

• “‘This is America,’ a man said. ‘How can it happen in America? How?’” ( Paragraph 65)

• “‘Let’s walk over the bridge to Brooklyn. They can’t hurt us in Brooklyn.’” ( Paragraph 68)

How does the author’s decision to end the article with the quote, “‘You always look for those two buildings. You always know where you are when you see those two buildings. And now they’re gone’” contribute to the overall meaning of the text (Paragraph 70)?

• It emphasizes how much damage was done in the attack

• It shows how the attack took away something integral to New York City

• It shows how people continued to be confused by the attack

• It stresses how many people were lost in the attack

How does the author support the claim that people had a hard time making sense of the attacks on September 11th?

(a)