Difficulty: Medium

Average Score: 71%

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?

Rationale

The Peshtigo Fire happened on the same day as a fire in a much bigger city.

The passage indicates that the Peshtigo Fire received little news coverage primarily because it coincided with the Great Chicago Fire, which overshadowed it and attracted more media attention. This context explains why the disaster in Peshtigo was largely overlooked.

A (The damage from the Peshtigo Fire was not as widespread as the damage from the Great Chicago Fire) YOUR ANSWER

This statement is incorrect because the passage does not provide any information comparing the extent of damage between the two fires. While the Great Chicago Fire was indeed significant, the passage does not suggest that the damage in Peshtigo was lesser or that it contributed to the lack of coverage.

B (Because it was a forest fire, the Peshtigo Fire really did not affect too many people) YOUR ANSWER

This choice is misleading as the passage does not specify the type of fire as a reason for limited coverage. The impact of the fire on local residents is not addressed, making it an unsupported assumption that it affected fewer people simply because it was a forest fire.

C (The Peshtigo Fire happened on the same day as a fire in a much bigger city) CORRECT

This statement accurately reflects the reason for the lack of coverage. The passage clearly states that the Peshtigo Fire occurred on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, which was significantly larger and more newsworthy, leading to the overshadowing of the Peshtigo incident.

D (Residents of Peshtigo never reported that the fire had occurred) YOUR ANSWER

This option is incorrect, as the passage does not imply that residents failed to report the fire. It focuses on the overshadowing effect of the Great Chicago Fire rather than on any lack of reporting from Peshtigo.

Conclusion

The limited news coverage of the Peshtigo Fire can be attributed to its occurrence on the same day as the much larger Great Chicago Fire, which dominated media attention. The other choices do not have any supporting evidence in the passage, making them incorrect. Understanding the context of these events is crucial for recognizing how media priorities can shape public awareness of disasters.

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