Question

this time there was no murmur in the air, no warning of approaching danger. even the watchful press, that knows so much before it ever happens, slumbered quiet and deep, till the hissing wires shrieked the terrifying word—galveston. then we learned that, as at port royal, the sea had overleaped its bounds and its victims by thousands were in its grasp. in all the land no one slept then. to us it was the clang of the fire - bell, and the drop of the harness. the red cross clans commenced to gather. read the excerpt from a story of the red cross. why does the author most likely include this description? to show the contrast between the peaceful silence and the devastation to show that journalists know more about what happens than anyone to show the quick response of firefighters and rescue workers to show the power of nature in dangerous situations

Explanation:

The text first describes a peaceful scene ("no murmur in the air", "slumbered quiet and deep") and then suddenly mentions the disaster ("hissing wires shrieked the terrifying word—Galveston"). This contrast between the calm before and the chaos after is a key literary device. The other options are incorrect: there's no emphasis on journalists knowing more (the press "slumbered"), no mention of firefighters' response, and while nature's power is part of the disaster, the main focus of the description is the contrast.

Answer:

to show the contrast between the peaceful silence and the devastation