Question

Read this excerpt from The Great Fire.

While this was happening near the fire, more errors were taking place a mile and a half away. Chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system, making it one of the best in the nation. Each firehouse had a watchman who scanned the immediate neighborhood for flames or smoke during the night. Overlooking the entire city was a watchman in the cupola of the Courthouse, one hundred feet above the ground. If a fire was spotted, an alarm was telegraphed (either from the firehouse or from one of the many alarm boxes situated around town) to the Courthouse; the Courthouse watchman then relayed the location of the blaze to the firehouses nearest to it. For added security, the giant Courthouse bell was also rung. Because of the drought, special Insurance Patrols had been organized and Benjamin Bullwinkle was appointed to head them. These patrols roamed the streets at night, ready to put out small fires with chemical extinguishers and turn in alarms for bigger blazes. While this system sounds very cumbersome to us, back in 1871 it was considered quite speedy and efficient.

Which quotation best reflects the main idea of this paragraph?

“While this was happening near the fire, more errors were taking place a mile and a half away.”
“Chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system, making it one of the best in the nation.”
“Because of the drought, special Insurance Patrols had been organized and Benjamin Bullwinkle was appointed to head them.”
“These patrols roamed the streets at night, ready to put out small fires with chemical extinguishers and turn in alarms for bigger blazes.”

Answer 1

Answer:

B

Explanation:

I have took the test and got the answer correct.

The entire paragraph talks about how the fire alarm system works, meaning the main idea is B. “Chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system, making it one of the best in the nation.”

Answer 2

Chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system, making it one of the best in the nation.

• Chicago's fire alarm system has just undergone renovations, putting it among the best in the country.
• The assertion made in the text is this one. The remainder of the sentence explains the arguments and supporting details.
• Every fire station had a night watchman who kept an eye out for any fires or smoke in the area.
• There were watchmen, for instance, at firehouses, variously positioned boxes, and the courthouse's cupola. If a fire was discovered, the men would send a message to the guy in the courthouse.
• This would sound a bell, increasing the alarm's dependability. To put out the fires, well-organized Patrols would drive through the streets.
• The sentence ends with a statement on how quick and effective the fire alarm system was.

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