English · Passages
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Read the following passage to answer the given question;
The fact that we were all as safe as kittens under a cook-stove did not, however, assuage in the least the fine despair and the grotesque desperation which seized upon the residents of the East Side when the cry spread like a grass fire that the dam had given way. Some of the most dignified, staid, cynical, and clear-thinking men in town abandoned their wives, stenographers, homes, and offices and ran east. There are few alarms in the world more terrifying than 'The dam has broken!' There are few persons capable of stopping to reason when that clarion cry strikes upon their ears, even persons who live in towns no nearer than five hundred miles to a dam.
Identify the phrase in which the people of the East Side experienced one of the deadliest fears of their lives:
- A
"The dam has been destroyed!"
- B
"The dam is safe!"
- C
"The dam has broken!"
- D
"The dam has not broken!"
- E
"The dam is overflowing!"
The phrase 'The dam has broken!' is explicitly mentioned in the passage as causing widespread fear and panic among the residents of the East Side. This fear is described as a 'clarion cry' that is particularly terrifying, leading even rational and clear-thinking individuals to act irrationally. Other options either do not appear in the passage or convey a meaning that would not instill fear.
This option is incorrect. The passage does not use this phrase, and it does not capture the specific fear described.
This option is incorrect. This phrase would not evoke fear but rather reassurance, which is contrary to the context of the passage.
This is the correct option. The phrase 'The dam has broken!' is highlighted in the passage as a terrifying alarm that causes panic among the residents.
This option is incorrect. This phrase would similarly provide reassurance rather than incite fear.
This option is incorrect. Although it could be alarming, the specific phrase 'The dam has broken!' is identified in the passage as causing panic.
Tagged under English · Passages · 2011