Excerpt from the Great Fire

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”?

• by several feet

• to make the roads and sidewalks

• out of wood

• above the waterline

• in some places

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?

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

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

• Chicago had been built largely on soggy marshland.

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

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

• The location of the businesses was one reason "fires were common in all cities back then, and Chicago was no exception."

• 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.”

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.

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.

Which sentence from the passage provides the best support for the central idea "Chicago provided almost perfect conditions for a widespread and damaging fire."

• “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.”

Choose 2 reasons Chicago Burned in October 1871 Instead of Later

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

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

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

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

• Chicago had been built largely on soggy marshland that flooded every time it rained.

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

• Land 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.

Which sentence from the passage provides the best support for the statement "A fire was likely to occur almost every day in Chicago."

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

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

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

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