passage 1

the following letter to the editor was written to an ohio newspaper about the chicago world's fair in 1893, an international exhibition that showcased scientific, technological, and cultural achievements of the time.

adapted from a letter about the chicago world's fair

by james a. miller

here are a few notes taken from a list of wonderful things i saw at the fair.

the electricity building was intensely interesting. we noticed a large crowd around the center of attention, which was an electric oven, where they were baking biscuits.

in one building, we saw the glittering obelisk of columbian half-dollars. at the german exhibit we saw more rare jewels, the personal property of emperor william. we took a leisurely walk through the transportation building and saw the family carriages of president polk and daniel webster and spent a delightful hour in horticulture hall amidst the lovely flowers and products of every climate.

our view of the white city, the area in the park filled with large beautiful white buildings, from the lake by night was the most magnificent spectacle of all and can never be forgotten. i have lost myself no less than five times over the past few hours.

passage 2

the following fictional account details a young girl's experiences at the chicago world's fair in 1893. a world's fair is an international exhibition that aims to showcase achievements of participating nations.

adapted from elsie at the world's fair

by martha finley

in the morning, we joined harold who led us to the court of honor and the midway plaisance. watching the crowds was very amusing, but we could not stop whispering about the wheel.

then, harold had us watch as the hundred thousand flags, those of perhaps every nation that has one to display—were flung to the breeze. meanwhile, bands from cincinnati and iowa, from vienna, and arabia had all got together to play yankee doodle. we were in awe, but i again was wondering about the wheel as i imagine everyone else was too.

finally, harold suggested we go to the main attraction, the ferris wheel, the first ever built. we climbed into our seats and were a little scared. however, we soon were up in the air with a grand view, momentarily feeling like we were on top of the world.

which conclusion about the 1893 chicago world's fair can be made based on the passages?

a. the event featured many inventive things.

b. most people went to the fair because of the amusement rides.

c. most people studied new languages in preparation for the fair.

d. the event led to changes in architecture.

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