Question

which quotation from the great fire best reflects the central idea that the fire might have been extinguished sooner, if not for several different issues?

\chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system, making it one of the best in the nation.\
\later at the official inquiry, all of the mistakes and missed chances that occurred in the opening minutes of the fire would be discussed.\
\like thousands of other people, he was on his way to de koven street to watch the fire.\
\it must sweep on until it reached a broad street, and then, everybody said, it would burn itself out.\

Explanation:

Analyze the central idea

The question asks for a quotation that reflects the central idea that the fire might have been extinguished sooner if not for several different issues (mistakes, delays, or system failures).

Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "Chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system..." suggests the system was good, which contradicts the idea of issues preventing early extinguishment.
• Option 2: "Later at the official inquiry, all of the mistakes and missed chances that occurred in the opening minutes of the fire would be discussed." directly points to "mistakes and missed chances" (issues) in the "opening minutes" (when it could have been extinguished sooner).
• Option 3: "Like thousands of other people, he was on his way..." describes crowd behavior, not systemic issues or mistakes preventing early extinguishment.
• Option 4: "It must sweep on until it reached a broad street..." describes the inevitability and progression of the fire once it was out of control, rather than the early mistakes that prevented it from being put out.

Select the best quotation

Option 2 is the only quote that directly links the failure to put out the fire early to specific "mistakes and missed chances."

Answer:

• (A) "Chicago had recently renovated its fire alarm system, making it one of the best in the nation."
• (B) "Later at the official inquiry, all of the mistakes and missed chances that occurred in the opening minutes of the fire would be discussed." (Correct answer)
• (C) "Like thousands of other people, he was on his way to De Koven Street to watch the fire."
• (D) "It must sweep on until it reached a broad street, and then, everybody said, it would burn itself out."