Question

no one can predict when an earthquake will occur. some earthquakes are barely felt and cause little damage. others are disastrous and the damage is extensive. however, buildings are stronger today, and emergency crews are put in place quickly. these actions help lessen the losses caused by these awesome forces of nature. long ago however, less was known about earthquakes. the damage they caused was even more far - reaching.

in 1906, the early morning silence of april 18th was shattered at 5:12. at that very moment, an earthquake shook the city of san francisco. streets began to rise and fall like waves on a gigantic ocean. the first shock was the most terrifying seconds. the most shock lasted only 15 seconds but was no less frightening. in less than one minute, the nations worst natural disaster forever changed thousands of lives.

the most serious destruction was not caused by the quake itself. it was caused by broken water lines and gas lines. gas leaks triggered explosions and fires. there was no water to put out the fires, and over 490 city blocks burned to the ground. as one citizen described, “... flames were seething, and as i stood there, a five - story building fell a block away, fell with a crash... the fire raged on for three days before burning out.”

once the smoke cleared, citizens were able to survey the damage. many people were separated from family members during the fire. over 500 lives were lost, and more than 250,000 people were left homeless.

the earthquake shook the city, but it did not take the strength of its citizens. as one woman described in a letter to a friend just weeks after the quake, “we have certainly had an awful time out here, but the fortitude of the people has been something wonderful.” the people of san francisco were able to rise from the ashes and restore their battered city.

ged question type
summarizing
question
which of the following is the best summary of the article?

• the california earthquake of the 1906 devastated a city, but could not destroy the victims spirit.
• people often dont realize how strong they are until disaster strikes.
• fires are more destructive than earthquakes.
• the california earthquake of 1906 was the worst disaster in the nations history.

Explanation:

To summarize the article, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The article describes the 1906 San Francisco (California) earthquake that devastated the city, but also highlights that the citizens' spirit wasn't destroyed (e.g., "The people of San Francisco were able to rise from the ashes...", "the fortitude of the people has been something wonderful"). This matches the main points.
• Option 2: The article focuses on the 1906 earthquake and the city's recovery, not a general statement about people realizing their strength in disasters.
• Option 3: The article says the most serious destruction was from fires after the quake, but it doesn't claim fires are more destructive than quakes generally.
• Option 4: The article says "in less than one minute, the nation’s worst natural disaster forever changed thousands of lives" but later the city was restored, and it's not clear it remained the worst. Also, the main theme is the city's recovery, not just the disaster being the worst.

Answer:

The California earthquake of the 1906 devastated a city, but could not destroy the victims' spirit.