The Great Chicago Fire Questions

1.Which quotation shows that the firemen had trouble finding the location of the fire? 

• 1. “The city’s firefighters were tired from battling blazes all week...” (paragraph 3) 

• 2. “ ...quickly gathered their equipment and rushed to where they thought the fie had started.” (paragraph 3) 

• 3. “The firemen were given faulty directions and didn’t arrive at the correct site for an hour.”(Paragraph 3) 

• 4. “The firefighters’ attempts at controlling the flames had no effect.”(paragraph 3)

2. 2.Part A: What does the word “faulty” mean as it is used in paragraph 3? 

• 1. a. Inaccurate; flawed 

• 2. b. Precise; correct

• 3. c. Hasty; fast 

• 4. d. Perfect; exact 

3. 3.Part B: Which quotation from the passage helps the reader understand the meaning of the word faulty as it is being used in paragraph 3?

• a. “...didn’t arrive at the correct site for an hour.” (Paragraph 3) 

• 2. b. “... they quickly gathered their equipment and rushed to where they thought the fire had started.” (paragraph 3) 

• 3. c. “Every object in the fire’s path became more fuel for it.” (paragraph 4) 

• 4. d. “a fire was spotted in a wooden barn on the south side of Chicago.” (paragraph 3) 

4. How did the flames continue to burn and cross the river? 

• 1. a. There was waste in the river that was flammable. 

• b. The fire was pushed over by the wind. 

• 3. c. The fire didn’t cross the river. 

• d. The fire was a special type that water couldn’t put out. 

5.What does the illustration on page 3 help the reader to understand better?  

• 1. a. The great fire left Chicago in ruins which allowed people to build Chicago back better than before. 

• b. The great fire wasn’t bad and caused minor damage. 

• 3. c. The illustration shows what the fire looked like as it burned. 

• 4. d. The illustration shows people rebuilding after the fire. 

6. How does the first paragraph introduce the rest of the passage? 

• a. By describing how the city looked after the fire ended.

• b. By comparing how the city looked before and after the fire. 

• c. By explaining the cause of the fire.

• d. By describing the firemen fighting the fire worked hard. 

7.Select two reasons why the fire was uncontrollable and destructive. 

• a. “Chicago had been in the middle of a drought when the fire started.” (paragraph 9) 

• b. “Chicago had expanded rapidly in the late 19th century.” (paragraph 10) 

• c. “Homes and other structures were being made quickly and cheaply.” (paragraph 10) 

• d. “...but all the buildings in Chicago were made of wood.” (paragraph 10) 

8.Based on the text, how did the fire affect the way the people of Chicago rebuilt their city? 

• a. They rebuilt the city the same way they built it in the first place. 

• b. They rebuilt the city more expensively. 

• c. They rebuilt the city with fire safety in mind. 

• d. They didn’t rebuild the city.