10
QuizMultiple Choice

Themes in The Great Fire

Question 10 • 2025/26 IGC-English II - Prescriptive

Which excerpt from The Great Fire supports the theme that people sometimes disregard others in chaotic situations?

Answer
A
Others weren't so lucky. In the rush and panic, a number of people either lost their footing or were accidentally pushed from the sidewalk and into the busy street.
B
Frantic animals — stray horses and cows, dogs and cats, and even rats — ran wild, causing increasingly more confusion.
C
An exhausted Chamberlin came to the Randolph Street Bridge and discovered “a torrent of humanity pouring over the bridge.”
D
It did come under my notice that some cartmen worked for whatever the sufferers felt able to pay. . . .

Explanation

Choice A shows people being pushed from the sidewalk into the busy street during the rush and panic. The word “accidentally” suggests the crowd’s chaos led people to disregard the safety of others. The other excerpts describe confusion, a crowd, or cartmen’s willingness to help rather than people endangering one another.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.