Name:________________________________________________Date:______Period:_____________

Directions:Readthepassagebelowandthenanswerthefollowingquestions.

TheGreatFire

excerptfrom

(1)

Ashedattachedtothebarnwasalreadyengulfedbyflames.Itcontainedtwotonsofcoalforthe
winterandalargesupplyofkindlingwood.Fireranalongthedrygrassandleaves,andtookholdofa
neighborsfence.Theheatfromtheburningbarn,shed,andfencewassohotthattheOLearys
house,fortyfeetaway,begantosmolder.Neighborsrushedfromtheirhomes,manycarryingbuckets
orpotsofwater.Thesoundofmusicandmerrymakingstoppedabruptly,replacedbytheshoutof
FIRE!Itwouldbeawarningcryheardthousandsoftimesduringthenextthirtyonehours.
(2)

Chicagoin1871wasacityreadytoburn.Thecityboastedhaving59,500buildings,manyof
themsuchastheCourthouseandtheTribuneBuildinglargeandornatelydecorated.Thetrouble
wasthatabouttwothirdsofallthesestructuresweremadeentirelyofwood.Manyoftheremaining
buildings(eventheonesproclaimedtobefireproof)lookedsolid,butwereactuallyjerrybuilt

(poorlybuilt)
affairs;thestoneorbrickexteriorshidwoodenframesandfloors,alltoppedwithhighly
flammabletarorshingleroofs.Itwasalsoacommonpracticetodisguisewoodasanotherkindof
buildingmaterial.Thefancyexteriordecorationsonjustabouteverybuildingwerecarvedfrom
wood,thenpaintedtolooklikestoneormarble.Mostchurcheshadsteeplesthatappearedtobe
solidfromthestreet,butacloserinspectionwouldrevealawoodenframeworkcoveredwithcleverly
paintedcopperortin.
(3)

Thesituationwasworstinthemiddleclassandpoorerdistricts.Lotsizesweresmall,andowners
usuallyfilledthemupwithcottages,barns,sheds,andouthousesallmadeoffastburningwood,
naturally.BecausebothPatrickandCatherineOLearyworked,theywereabletoputalargeaddition
ontheircottagedespitealotsizeofjust25by100feet.Interspersedintheseresidentialareaswerea
varietyofbusinessespaintfactories,lumberyards,distilleries,gasworks,mills,furniture
manufacturers,warehouses,andcoaldistributors.
(4)

Wealthierdistrictswerebynomeansfreeoffirehazards.Statelystoneandbrickhomeshad
woodinteriorsandstoodsidebysidewithsmallerwoodframehouses.Woodenstablesandother
storagebuildingswerecommon,andtreeslinedthestreetsandfilledtheyards.
(5)Thelinksbetweenricherandpoorersectionswentbeyondthematerialsusedforconstructionor
thewaybuildingswerecrammedtogether.Chicagohadbeenbuiltlargelyonsoggymarshlandthat
floodedeverytimeitrained.Astheyearspassedandthetowndeveloped,aquicksolutiontothe
waterandmudproblemwasneeded.Theanswerwastomaketheroadsandsidewalksoutofwood
andelevatethemabovethewaterline,insomeplacesbyseveralfeet.Onthedaythefirestarted,
over55milesof

pineblockstreetsand600milesofwoodensidewalksboundthe23,000acresofthe
cityinahighlycombustibleknot.

(6)

Fireswerecommoninallcitiesbackthen,andChicagowasnoexception.In1863therehadbeen
186reportedfiresinChicago;thenumberhadrisento515by1868.Recordsfor1870indicatethat
firefightingcompaniesrespondedtonearly600alarms.Thenextyearsawevenmorefiresspringup,
mainlybecausethesummerhadbeenunusuallydry.BetweenJulyandOctoberonlyafewscattered
showershadtakenplaceandthesedidnotproducemuchwateratall.Treesdroopedinthe
unrelentingsummersun;grassandleavesdriedout.ByOctober,asmanyassixfireswerebreaking
1

outeveryday.OnSaturdaytheseventh,thenightbeforetheGreatFire,ablazedestroyedfourblocks
andtookoversixteenhourstocontrol.WhatmadeSundaytheeighthdifferentandparticularly
dangerouswasthesteadywindblowinginfromthesouthwest.

(7)

Itwasthisgusting,swirlingwindthatdrovetheflamesfromtheOLearysbarnintoneighboring
yards.Totheeast,afenceandshedofJimDaltonswentupinflames;tothewest,abarnsmoldered
forafewminutes,thenflaredupintoathousandyelloworangefingers.
Answerthequestionsbelow.

Rereadthissentencefromparagraph5ofthepassage:

Theanswerwastomaketheroadsandsidewalksoutofwoodandelevatethemabovethewaterline,insomeplaces
byseveralfeet.

1.Whichtwophrasesinthesentencebesthelpthereaderdeterminethemeaningofthewordelevate?
A.

Theanswerwas
B.

tomaketheroadsandsidewalks
C.

abovethewaterline
D.

insomeplaces
E.

insomeplaces

2.

WhatwasthemainreasonthatthemiddleclassandpoorerdistrictsinChicagoburneddownmoreeasilythan
otherdistrictsinthecitydid?
A.

Thebuildingsinthesedistrictshadwoodendecorationspaintedtolooklikemarbleorstone.
B.

Theroofsofthebuildingsinthesedistrictsweremadeofmaterialsthatburnedeasily.
C.

Thesedistrictscontainedmanywoodenbuildingsthatwerebuiltcloselytogether.
D.

Thesedistrictswerecrossedbymilesofpineblockstreetsandwoodensidewalks.

3.

Accordingtothepassage,howdidthelocationofthebusinessesaffecttheGreatFire?
A.

Thelocationofthebusinesseswasonereasonthesituationwasworstinthemiddleclassandpoorerdistricts.
B.

Thelocationofthebusinessesprovidedsomeofthelinksbetweenricherandpoorersectionsofthecity.
C.

Thelocationofthebusinessesmeantthatthewealthierdistrictswerebynomeansfreeoffirehazards.
D.

Thelocationofthebusinesseshelpedbindthe23,000acresofthecityinahighlycombustibleknot.

4.

Howdothedetailsinparagraphs3and4aboutthepoor,middleclass,andwealthierneighborhoodscontribute
tothedevelopmentofthecentralideasofthepassage?
A.

Theparagraphssupporttheideathatthefirespreadwidelybecauseoftheamountofwoodinallthreeareas.
B.

Theparagraphssupporttheideathatwoodwasthemostreadilyavailableresourcebecauseofthenumberof
treesinthearea.
C.

Theparagraphssupporttheideathatlongagopeoplewereunawareoftheimportanceofwellconstructed
buildings.
D.

TheparagraphssupporttheideathatChicagowasdifferentfromotherlargecitiesduringthattime.


Thisquestionhastwoparts.AnswerPartAandthenanswerPartB.
5.PartA:Whichstatementbelowbestsummarizesthecentralideaofthispassage?
A.

TheGreatFireofChicagowasoneofthemostdamagingfiresinAmericanhistory.
B.

TheGreatFireofChicagoquicklygotoutofcontrolinsomeneighborhoodsbutnotothers.
C.

Chicagofirefighterscouldnotputoutthefireeventhoughmanypeopletriedtohelp.
D.

Chicagoprovidedalmostperfectconditionsforawidespreadanddamagingfire.

6.PartB:WhichsentencefromthepassageprovidesthebestsupportforthecorrectanswerinPartA?
A.

Neighborsrushedfromtheirhomes,manycarryingbucketsorpotsofwater.
B.

Chicagoin1871wasacityreadytoburn.
C.

Thesituationwasworstinthemiddleclassandpoorerdistricts.
D.

Fireswerecommoninallcitiesbackthen,andChicagowasnoexception.

Continuethisquizonthefollowingpage.

Inthechartsbelow,thecolumnscontainalistofdetailsfromthepassage.
7.WhichoneofthedetailsbelowshowwhyChicagoburnedwhenitdid?
A
Neighborsrushedfromtheirhomes,manycarryingbucketsorpotsofwater.
B
Lotsizesweresmall,andownersusuallyfilledthemupwithcottages,barns,sheds,andouthousesallmadeoffastburningwood,
naturally.
C
Onthedaythefirestarted,over55milesofpineblockstreetsand600milesofwoodensidewalksboundthe23,000acresofthecityin
ahighlycombustibleknot.
D
BetweenJulyandOctoberonlyafewscatteredshowershadtakenplaceandthesedidnotproducemuchwateratall.

8.WhichofthedetailsbelowisanotherreasonwhyChicagoburnedwhenitdid?
A
Thesoundofmusicandmerrymakingstoppedabruptly,replacedbytheshoutofFIRE!Itwouldbeawarningcryheardthousandsof
timesduringthenextthirtyonehours.
B
OnSaturdaytheseventh,thenightbeforetheGreatFire,ablazedestroyedfourblocksandtookoversixteenhourstocontrol.
C
Chicagohadbeenbuiltlargelyonsoggymarshlandthatfloodedeverytimeitrained.
D
WhatmadeSundaytheeighthdifferentandparticularlydangerouswasthesteadywindblowinginfromthesouthwest.

Thisquestionhastwoparts.AnswerPartAandthenanswerPartB.

9.PartA:BasedonTheGreatFire,whichstatementistrueaboutconditionsinChicagoin18701871?
A.

LandforbuildinghomeswasabundantinChicago.
B.

FirefightersinChicagowereinexperienced.
C.

ThegrowthofChicagowasbeingcarefullyplanned.
D.

AfirewaslikelytooccuralmosteverydayinChicago.

10.PartB:WhichsentencefromthepassageprovidesthebestsupportforthecorrectanswerinPartA?
A.

Lotsizesweresmall,andownersusuallyfilledthemupwithcottages,barns,sheds,andouthousesallmadeof
fastburningwood,naturally.
B.

Astheyearspassedandthetowndeveloped,aquicksolutiontothewaterandmudproblemwasneeded.
C.

Recordsfor1870indicatethatfirefightingcompaniesrespondedtonearly600alarms.
D.

OnSaturdaytheseventh,thenightbeforetheGreatFire,ablazedestroyedfourblocksandtookoversixteenhoursto
control.