The Triangular Shirt Fire

Part A: What is the central idea of “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911” ?

• The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire showed how important it is to practice fire safety at work.

• The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire showed how far we have come as a society when it comes to fire and work safety.

• The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire showed how a community can come together during a tragedy.

• The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire showed the dangerous consequences that unsafe working conditions and corrupt business owners could have for workers.

What text evidence supports the central idea chosen in the previous question?

• "... Blanck and Harris had refused to install sprinkler systems and take other safety measures in case they needed to burn down their shop again."

• "It was a true sweatshop, employing young immigrant women who worked in cramped spaces at lines of sewing machines."

• "A fire prevention law was passed that October."

• "The danger of fire in factories like the Triangle Shirtwaist was well known."

Select the sentence from the section entitled "A true sweatshop" that is MOST relevant to the central idea of the article.

• "The Triangle Factory, owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, was located in the top three floors of a building, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, in New York City."

• "There were two stairways down to the street, but one was locked from the outside to prevent stealing and the other only opened inward."

• "It was a true sweatshop, employing young immigrant women who worked in a cramped space at lines of sewing machines."

• "Nearly all the workers were teenage girls who did not speak English, working 12 hours a day, every day."

Which of the following would be LEAST important to include in a summary of the article?

• "In 1911, only one of the four elevators in the factory building was working."

• "Blanck and Harris only paid their employees $15 a week."

• "The factory owners had refused to install sprinkler systems."

• "A manager tried to put the fire out with a hose, but the hose was rotted."

Each of the following is cited as evidence the tragedy could have been prevented EXCEPT:

• One of the doors to the street was locked to prevent theft.

• The owners of the factory had not taken safety precautions including installing sprinkler systems.

• The fire began in a rag bin while there were 600 workers in the factory.

• Three of the four elevators in the building were not working at the time of the fire.

Read the sentence from the article.

One of the most deadly events in the history of American factories was largely preventable.

Select the paragraph from the section "A true sweatshop" that BEST supports the author's claim.

• Paragraph 4

• Paragraph 5

• Paragraph 6

• Paragraph 7

In the following sentence from paragraph 11, what does the word "unfurled" mean?

"In one case, a life net was unfurled to catch jumpers."

• purchased

• brought

• unfolded and stretched out

• put in place

Read the following introduction paragraph from a student essay. Then choose the correct spelling for the underlined word.

The author of “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911” discusses the effects of a tragic fire in a garment factory, which was located in New York. Many workers died due to the neglagince of safety by the owners of the factory. In the text it states, “the manager attempted to use the fire hose to extinguish it, but was unsuccessful, as the hose was rotted and its valve was rusted shut.” When the fire spread workers were forced to jump from windows and roofs.

• neglegance

• negligence

• neglagance

• neglagince

How should the following sentence from the previous paragraph be written?

When the fire spread workers were forced to jump from windows and roofs.

• When the fire, spread workers were forced to jump from windows and roofs.

• When the fire spread, workers were forced to jump from windows and roofs.

• When the fire spread workers were forced to jump, from windows and roofs.

• When the fire spread workers were forced to jump from windows, and roofs.

How does the final section contribute to the central idea of the aricle?

• It demonstrates the many ways the owners could have prevented the tragedy.

• It explains how the fire forced the government to introduce reforms to prevent future disasters.

• It gives specific details about how the owners' corruption contributed to the tragedy.

• It discusses specific current laws that protect workers.