Question

Read this excerpt from The Great Fire. At the same moment that Anderson's hose stopped, another steamer malfunctioned and its water also gave out. A well-aimed rap of a hammer got the engine working again, but then, at about 10:30, an old section of hose burst and the flow of water stopped again. Two valuable links in the chain of defense were gone, and there was nothing to stop the fire in these locations. Williams rushed to get the water going and to reposition his engines, but it was too late. The wind had pushed the fire past his circle, a wind that was blowing directly toward the heart of the city. How does the structure of this excerpt contribute to the central idea that the firefighters did not have the proper equipment to fight the fire?
A. by demonstrating that there was no possible way to stop the blaze
B. by highlighting the human error that caused the flames to spread rapidly
C. by showing who was responsible for the equipment malfunctions
D. by explaining the effects of the steamer malfunctioning and the hose bursting

Answer 1

Answer:

D. by explaining the effects of the steamer malfunctioning and the hose bursting

Explanation:

The equipment that the fire fighters had was not adequate. No matter how fast and hard they worked to fix it, there simply wasn't enough time. Due to inadequate equipment, the fire spread  and was blowing directly towards the heart of the city. If the equipment would have been working properly it is likely that the fire would not have spread like it did making it easier to contain.

Answer 2

Answer:

D. by explaining the effects of the steamer malfunctioning and the hose bursting.

Explanation:

This is the main way in which the structure of the excerpt contributes to the central idea that the firefighters did not have the proper equipment to fight the fire. In these lines, we learn that the steamer malfunctioned and that an old section of hose burst. This situation led to the firefighters being unable to stop the fire.