Question

read this excerpt from the great fire.

as soon as the first shouts of \fire!\ were heard, scores of people swarmed toward de koven street. many helped their neighbors fight the fire or drag furniture and clothes to the safety of the street. most stood by watching the yellow-orange flames leaping from roof to roof and listening to the horrible crackle pop of dry pine being consumed. fires were extremely common back then and thought to be as exciting and dramatic as a night at the theater.

which statement best describes the effect of people shouting, \fire\?

• most residents ignored the warning and stayed inside.
• most residents volunteered to help extinguish the blaze.
• most residents came out to watch the blaze.
• most residents fled the area to a safer place.

Explanation:

Analyze the text for the immediate reaction to the shouts of "Fire!"

The text states: "As soon as the first shouts of 'Fire!' were heard, scores of people swarmed toward De Koven Street. Many helped their neighbors fight the fire or drag furniture and clothes to the safety of the street. Most stood by watching..."

Evaluate the options based on the text evidence

• "Most residents ignored the warning and stayed inside": Incorrect, as they swarmed toward the street.
• "Most residents volunteered to help extinguish the blaze": Incorrect, only "Many helped...", while "Most stood by watching...".
• "Most residents came out to watch the blaze": Correct, as the text explicitly states "Most stood by watching the yellow-orange flames...".
• "Most residents fled the area to a safer place": Incorrect, they stayed to watch it like a "night at the theater."

Determine the correct choice

The statement that best describes the effect is that most residents came out to watch the blaze.

Answer:

• Most residents ignored the warning and stayed inside.
• Most residents volunteered to help extinguish the blaze.
• Most residents came out to watch the blaze. (Correct answer)
• Most residents fled the area to a safer place.