The Great Fire

1.       Reread this sentence from paragraph 5 of the passage:

The answer was to make the roads and sidewalks out of wood and elevate them above the waterline, in some places by several feet. 

 

Which two phrases in the sentence best help the reader determine the meaning of the word “elevate”?

• The answer was

   

• By several feet

•   out of wood

   

• above the waterline

   

• in some places

   

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What was the main reason that the middle class and poorer districts in Chicago burned down more easily than other districts in the city did?

• The buildings in these districts had wooden decorations painted to look like marble or

• roofs of the buildings in these districts were made of materials that burned easily.

• These districts contained many wooden buildings that were built closely together.

  .

• These districts were crossed by miles of pine-block streets and wooden sidewalks.

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According to the passage, how did the location of the businesses affect the Great Fire?

• The location of the businesses was one reason “the situation was worst in the middle-class and poorer districts.”

• The location of the businesses provided some of “the links between richer and poorer sections” of the city.

•   The location of the businesses meant that the “wealthier districts were by no means free of fire hazards.”

•   The location of the businesses helped bind “the 23,000 acres of the city in a highly combustible knot.”

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How do the details in paragraphs 3 and 4 about the poor, middle-class, and wealthier neighborhoods contribute to the development of the central ideas of the passage?

• The paragraphs support the idea that the fire spread widely because of the amount of wood in all three areas.

•    The paragraphs support the idea that wood was the most readily available resource because of the number of trees in the area.

• The paragraphs support the idea that long ago people were unaware of the importance of well-constructed buildings.

•    The paragraphs support the idea that Chicago was different from other large cities during that time.

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Part A:  Which statement below best summarizes the central idea of this passage?

• The Great Fire of Chicago was one of the most damaging fires in American history.

•   The Great Fire of Chicago quickly got out of control in some neighborhoods but not others.

•    Chicago firefighters could not put out the fire even though many people tried to help.

•   Chicago provided almost perfect conditions for a widespread and damaging fire.

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Part B:  Which sentence from the passage provides the best support for the summary of the central idea in Part A?

•   “Neighbors rushed from their homes, many carrying buckets or pots of water.”

   

•   “Chicago in 1871 was a city ready to burn.”

• “The situation was worst in the middle-class and poorer districts.”

• “Fires were common in all cities back then, and Chicago was no exception.” 

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Which two details show why Chicago burned when it did?

• Between July and October only a few scattered showers had taken place and these did not produce much water at all.

• The sound of music and merrymaking stopped abruptly, replaced by the shout of “FIRE!” It would be a warning cry heard thousands of times during the next thirty-one hours.

• Lot sizes were small, and owners usually filled them up with cottages, barns, sheds, and outhouses—all made of fast-burning wood, naturally.

• What made Sunday the eighth different and particularly dangerous was the steady wind blowing in from the southwest.

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Part A:  Based on The Great Fire, which statement is true about conditions in Chicago in 1870-1871?

• ALand for building homes was abundant in Chicago.

• Firefighters in Chicago were inexperienced.

• The growth of Chicago was being carefully planned.

•   A fire was likely to occur almost every day in Chicago.

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Part B:  Which sentence from the passage provides the best support for the statement that was true about the conditions in Chicago in 1870-1871?

•   “Lot sizes were small, and owners usually filled them up with cottages, barns, sheds, and outhouses - all made of fast-burning wood, naturally.”

•   “As the years passed and the town developed, a quick solution to the water and mud problem was needed.”

•   “Records for 1870 indicate that fire-fighting companies responded to nearly 600 alarms.”

•   “On Saturday the seventh, the night before the Great Fire, a blaze destroyed four blocks and took over sixteen hours to control.”

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The Great Fire took place in which state?

• Chicago

• Illinois

• Texas

• Fire State

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