Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0
Exam: TSIA2 Reading and Writing Practice Test 2
Practice Question
Extract
Read the passage below and then choose the best answer to each question. Answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.
Passage
The Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, was arguably the largest U.S. disaster of the nineteenth century, killing hundreds of people and destroying four square miles of the city of Chicago. Coincidentally, on the exact same day, a huge forest fire engulfed the remote town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, burning 1.5 million acres of land. The Chicago Fire received all the headlines, but the Peshtigo Fire is actually the deadliest fire in American history.
Passage
The Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, was arguably the largest U.S. disaster of the nineteenth century, killing hundreds of people and destroying four square miles of the city of Chicago. Coincidentally, on the exact same day, a huge forest fire engulfed the remote town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, burning 1.5 million acres of land. The Chicago Fire received all the headlines, but the Peshtigo Fire is actually the deadliest fire in American history.
According to the passage, why did the Peshtigo Fire receive little news coverage?
Answer Choices
- A: The damage from the Peshtigo Fire was not as widespread as the damage from the Great Chicago Fire
- B: Because it was a forest fire, the Peshtigo Fire really did not affect too many people
- C: The Peshtigo Fire happened on the same day as a fire in a much bigger city
- D: Residents of Peshtigo never reported that the fire had occurred
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The passage states the Peshtigo Fire happened 'coincidentally, on the exact same day' as the Great Chicago Fire and that the Chicago Fire 'received all the headlines', implying the Peshtigo Fire was overshadowed by the fire in the larger city.