SSAT Reading Question 262: Answer and Explanation

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Question: 262

4. The statement that "All the cunning adjustments of a twentieth century city had been smashed by the earthquake" (lines 30–32) suggests primarily that

  • A. the city had been reduced to a primitive existence
  • B. the earthquake destroyed many of the city's newest buildings
  • C. numerous irreplaceable mechanisms were lost during the earthquake
  • D. only necessities such as plumbing and electricity remained intact

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A is correct. The passage tells mainly of the massive destruction the San Francisco earthquake caused; roads and rail systems were destroyed, telephone and telegraph systems were "disrupted," and the "water-mains had burst." Thus, the statement conveys the idea that all modern conveniences had been lost, and the city had been reduced to living without twentieth-century amenities.

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