Question

7 four hundred yards of wool were used for the fifteen red and white stripes that were each two feet wide. cotton was used for the fifteen stars. the entire flag was sewn by hand with tight stitches so it would not come apart in the wind. mary received $405.90 for the large flag and $168.54 for the storm flag. both flags were delivered to major armistead on august 13, 1813. 8 mary’s flag took its place flying over fort mchenry a year before the battle of baltimore began on september 12, 1814. the city proved to be well - prepared. twenty - five hours after the battle began, the british retreated. the flag was still there! eight miles down the river, a young lawyer, francis scott key, had been watching the battle from a ship. on september 14, 1814, mary pickersgill’s flag became famous when key completed a poem he had been writing on the back of an envelope while observing the battle and the flag that was still there. the poem, “the star - spangled banner,” became the national anthem, and mary’s flag became a very important part of american history. which sentence is the best summary of paragraph 8? ○ mary pickersgill made a flag that flew over fort mchenry a year before the battle of baltimore occurred. ○ francis scott key watched the battle of baltimore from a ship eight miles down the river. ○ mary’s flag inspired francis scott key to write a poem that became the national anthem. ○ mary’s family had to leave their home during the battle of baltimore because the british were advancing.

Explanation:

To determine the best summary of Paragraph 8, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The paragraph focuses on the flag's role in inspiring the poem, not Mary making a flag for Fort McHenry (that's from earlier). Eliminate.
• Option 2: The text says Francis watched from a ship, not a ship eight miles down the river. Eliminate.
• Option 3: The paragraph states that after seeing the flag still flying, Francis wrote a poem that became the national anthem. This matches the key events.
• Option 4: The paragraph doesn't mention Mary's family leaving due to the British advancing. Eliminate.

Answer:

Mary’s flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem that became the national anthem.