The reading comprehension section of a civil service exam is designed to test the cognitive ability of the candidate. Several reading passages, under various subject headings that may or may not deal with firefighting and firematics, are used to determine how well you read, reason, remember, think, and process the information given in the reading passages. For the most part, the reading passages are on fire-related topics without getting too technical and may include firefighting procedures, tools and equipment, management theory, firefighting lore stories, life in the firehouse, and technical skills. However, you do not need any prior experience in the fire service to understand the text passages and answer the questions correctly. Other topics, such as public relations, world issues, current events, and what may be considered obscure text are also sometimes included to ensure that it is your reading comprehension that is being tested, not your knowledge of a particular subject. The content is typically taken from academic journals and manuals and contains a great deal of information in a formal compact style. The test is at the level commensurate with the educational requirements listed on the notice of examination.
At the end of each reading passage, there are questions designed to test your thinking ability and how well you can concentrate under pressure. In general, unless the reading material is very short in length (one or two paragraphs), it is not wise to read the questions prior to reading the passage. When there are many questions pertaining to a reading, you will find it difficult and distracting to try to remember all the information being asked about in the questions. Save your time to read more of the passage deliberately and to review once you have completed reading the passage.
Skilled readers are “active” readers. They don’t just read; rather, they interact with the reading material; this leads to greater comprehension. Good readers use their prior knowledge and experience to process the words and sentences, determine their meaning, understand the passage, and possibly foresee what will be stated next. Tools, such as highlighting, underlining, and making marginal notes help in doing this.
Before I provide some general tips and some specific strategies for improving reading comprehension, I would like to remind you that there is an abundance of self-help literature on the Internet and in bookstores that can provide guidance on enhancing reading comprehension skills. I recommend purchasing fundamental reading comprehension soft cover books. Using these books will exercise your mind in cognitive reasoning as it relates to reading passages and answering questions about the subject matter presented.
• Broaden your background knowledge. Read newspapers, magazines, journals, and books on diverse subjects. Reading the editorial sections in your local newspaper will help you learn about the major issues in your area.
• Build a strong vocabulary. Vocabulary has long been recognized as an extremely important component of reading comprehension. The best way to improve your vocabulary is to use a dictionary regularly. Carry around a pocket dictionary and use it to look up new words when you’re reading. Buy an address book that is divided alphabetically to keep track of new words you learn in your reading. Recording a sentence in which a new word is used will help you remember its meaning.
• Preview the passage by reading the first sentence of each paragraph. Generally, the main topic of each paragraph is contained in the first sentence. Reading the first sentence of each paragraph will give you an overview of the text and a summary of what you are about to read. Since most of the reading passages on the test will be short, previewing the lead sentences will not use up much time.
• Familiarize yourself with the paragraph structure. Paragraphs in the text will normally have a beginning, middle, and end. As stated previously, the first sentence usually provides an overview or framework for the rest of the sentences in the paragraph. The middle sentences elaborate on the subject matter of the first sentence and provide details. The last sentence may summarize the information and transition toward a new topic in the following paragraph.
• Find the main idea of the text. Think of finding the main idea of a reading passage as a problem-solving task, and approach it strategically. The main idea will direct your focus toward any prior knowledge and experience of the topic you have, aid in a better understanding of the subject matter, and help you to anticipate what questions will most likely be asked at the end of the reading. Main idea questions ask the candidate to identify the text’s overall theme as opposed to supporting and technical information. In these types of questions, answer choices that emphasize factual information can usually be eliminated, as can answer choices that are too narrow or too broad. The answer choice that contains key words and concepts from the main idea presented in the text is usually the correct selection.
Several techniques have been shown to be effective in improving reading comprehension.
• Think aloud. Studies have shown that thinking aloud improves reading comprehension on exams. Thinking aloud requires you to stop periodically to recognize the strategies being employed in the text and to become aware of how you are processing and understanding the passage. It allows you to relate orally (and quietly to yourself) to what you are doing cognitively. The thinking-aloud process also gives you the opportunity to ask yourself questions regarding the meaning of the text and to rethink the information. This technique helps you to evaluate your own thought processes, a key component of learning that allows you to adjust your strategy, if need be, for greater success.
• Highlight text and make marginal notes. Stop at the end of a paragraph and review the most important points in the passage. Try to distinguish between what the main ideas being presented are and what ideas play a supporting role in the text. Then, highlight, underline, or circle key phrases and words. (Do not emphasize entire sentences and don’t mark up the text as you go or you will end up with too many markings on the page.) Your highlights and notes act as “memory pegs,” or mental pictures, that will aid you in remembering information and identifying what is important. Highlights and marginal notes will also aid you in reformatting the passage according to your own style of thinking and remembering and will help steer you in the right direction when you answer the questions at the end of the text. Review your special notations as necessary when answering the questions. You will find them to be of great value.
• Review your notes. When you finish reading the text, briefly review your highlighting and marginal notes. Skim over the first sentence of each paragraph to help you summarize what you have just read. This review process helps you to coordinate the ideas and information in the text into a major theme. The connection of key points provides a stronger understanding of the reading. Then, you are ready to start reading and answering the questions that follow.
• Apply critical reasoning skills (mini-reading comprehension). When encountering short text (one or two paragraphs) followed by just a few questions, working backward—that is, reading the questions before reading the passage—may save time. Read the questions carefully, determining what answers you should be looking for before reading the passage. Then, you may be able to pick out the answers quickly and accurately. Review each sentence in the paragraph(s) individually, noting whether the information being presented answers the questions you read before. Once you complete the reading, go back to the questions and try to answer them without even looking at the answer choices given. This will enhance your focus in finding the correct answer.
• Employ the SQR3 method—survey, question, read, recite, review.
Survey. Look over the title of the text and any other major section headings that may be in the reading. The heading(s) provide clues about the nature of the material and emphasize key areas. Note the length of the passage and the number of questions. Set a time limit for approximately how long it should take you to read the information and answer all the questions.
Question. After reading each paragraph, briefly ask yourself the following: “What is the main point of the paragraph?” “What bits of information in the paragraph support the main point?” “How does the paragraph relate to the major theme of the text?” Answer each of your questions using the thinking-aloud strategy discussed earlier.
Read. Actively read the paragraphs, concentrating on the first sentences of each paragraph at the onset. Become familiar with the paragraph structure and the writing style of the author. Organize the material in your own way to help discover the main idea of the text as well as important supporting information.
Recite. Use the thinking-aloud strategy to help you focus on the plan you have developed to fully understand the reading material. Reflect on the information and verbalize to yourself the answers to the questions you may have concerning key points and facts.
Review. After reading the passage, and before moving on to the questions, mark the text using your highlighting and note-making strategies. This will help you to format and reconstruct the information with your own style of remembering.
The following reading passages provide you with a diversified sample of topics. These reading samples are formatted in just one of the many ways in which the reading passages on the actual examination may test your reading ability and cognitive understanding of the printed word. In each question set, circle the letter of each answer you choose.
Carbon monoxide (CO) gas accounts for more fire-related deaths than any other toxic product of combustion. This gas is colorless, tasteless, and odorless. It is invisible to the naked eye. It is present at every fire. The more inefficient the burning of the fire, the more carbon monoxide gas is generated. Black smoke is rich in particulate carbon and carbon monoxide because of incomplete combustion. However, large amounts of this gas may be present in areas where no smoke at all is visible!
The human body is affected by carbon monoxide in a number of ways. Normally, hemoglobin in red blood cells combines with oxygen taken in by the lungs from the atmosphere to form oxyhemoglobin, which is carried to body tissues where the oxygen is released. When carbon monoxide is present, it combines with the hemoglobin 200 times more readily than does oxygen. The resulting carboxyhemoglobin significantly reduces the amount of oxygen transported. Additionally, the oxygen that does manage to leave the lungs and become attached to the hemoglobin is greatly inhibited from leaving the red blood cells to go to the body’s tissues. These two mechanisms combine to starve the body’s tissues of oxygen, the fuel required for them to function and survive.
Concentrations of carbon monoxide in air above five hundredths of one percent (0.05 percent) can be dangerous. Physiological symptoms demonstrated by victims breathing in higher than normal concentrations of carbon monoxide range from headache, nausea, and dizziness at 0.30 percent to 0.60 percent CO in air to immediate unconsciousness and danger of death in one to three minutes at 1.25 percent CO in air.
Measuring carbon monoxide concentrations in the air is not the ideal way to predict possible physiological symptoms. Measuring the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood is the true indicator because this level is what determines oxygen starvation in the body and the likelihood of physiological symptoms. A victim’s overall physical condition, age, degree of physical activity, and length of exposure all affect the development of symptoms.
1. Which of the following characteristics is NOT true about carbon monoxide?
(A) It is present at every fire.
(B) It is colorless, tasteless, and odorless.
(C) It is invisible to the naked eye.
(D) It is nontoxic.
2. According to the passage, the more inefficient combustion is,
(A) the more carbon monoxide is produced
(B) the less carbon monoxide is produced
(C) the less black smoke will be generated
(D) none of the above
3. Fill in the blank: Carbon monoxide combines with hemoglobin in the blood’s red blood cells about _______ times more readily than oxygen.
(A) 20
(B) 100
(C) 200
(D) 400
4. Oxyhemoglobin is formed when oxygen taken in by the lungs from the atmosphere combines with
(A) carbon monoxide
(B) hemoglobin in the red blood cells
(C) the body’s tissues
(D) none of the above
5. A process mentioned in the article that starves the body’s tissues of oxygen is
(A) oxygen taken into the lungs from the atmosphere
(B) oxygen leaving the lungs and attaching to red blood cells
(C) oxygen inhibited from leaving red blood cells
(D) oxygen utilized by the tissues of the body
6. Carboxyhemoglobin is most accurately defined as
(A) the exchange of oxygen between the lungs and the hemoglobin in the red blood cells
(B) the percent of carbon monoxide in the air
(C) the compound resulting from the combining of carbon monoxide with hemoglobin
(D) the percent of oxygen in the air
7. According to the passage, concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air over what percent are considered dangerous?
(A) 0.05 percent
(B) 0.005 percent
(C) 0.01 percent
(D) 0.0005 percent
8. A physiological symptom not normally experienced by people breathing in concentrations of carbon monoxide in the 0.30 percent to 0.60 percent range is
(A) nausea
(B) dizziness
(C) headache
(D) unconsciousness
9. The ideal way to predict physiological symptoms in victims of carbon monoxide is by
(A) measuring the carbon monoxide concentration in air
(B) measuring the concentration of carbon monoxide in the blood
(C) measuring the concentration of red blood cells
(D) measuring the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere
10. According to the passage, the likelihood of physiological symptoms from breathing in above-normal levels of carbon monoxide is affected by all of the following variables EXCEPT
(A) overall physical condition
(B) age
(C) degree of physical activity
(D) gender
Greek mythology states that the world was without fire until Prometheus resolved to improve mankind’s plight. Prometheus was a lesser Greek god and a descendant of the Sun. He was the creator of man. Prometheus carefully crafted man in the image and shape of the gods. Zeus, the ruling Greek god, was against all ideas Prometheus had regarding helping mankind. Zeus took no interest in the mortal race of men on Earth. He intended for them to live as primitives until the day they would all die off. Zeus claimed that knowledge and divine gifts would only bring misery and despair to the mortals. He insisted that Prometheus not interfere with his wishes. Prometheus did not listen to Zeus. He gave the mortals an abundance of gifts, including numbers, healing drugs, the alphabet, how to tell the seasons by the stars, and all art.
As time passed, Prometheus again took pity on human beings shivering inside their caves on cold winter nights. Zeus decreed that mortals must eat their food raw and uncooked. Prometheus could not control his emotions and decided to compound his crime of disobedience. He ventured to steal fire from the gods. Prometheus climbed Mount Olympus and stole the divine fire from the chariot of Apollo. He carried the fire back down the mountain in the stalk of a fennel plant, which burns slowly and thereby was ideal for this task. Prometheus gave mankind the gift of fire and thus mankind was warm.
The gift of divine fire unleashed an abundance of inventiveness, productivity, and respect for the immortal gods by mortals. Soon, culture and literacy permeated Earth. When Zeus heard of the deception, he was outraged. Zeus swore to punish Prometheus for such an act of defiance. He decreed that Prometheus be chained and shackled to a large rock in the desolate Caucasus mountain range for 30,000 years. Each day, Prometheus would be tormented by Zeus’s eagle as it tore at his flesh and tried to eat his liver. Each cold night, the torn flesh would heal so the eagle could once again resume its attack at the beginning of the new dawn.
About 30 years into the punishment, Heracles (known as Hercules in Roman mythology) passing by in the course of his eleventh of Twelve Labors (to find the golden apples of Hesperides), freed Prometheus. Although Prometheus was later invited to return to Olympus, he still had to carry with him the rock that was chained to his body.
As the introducer of fire to mankind, Prometheus is revered as the patron of human civilization.
1. Prometheus can best be described as
(A) the ruling Greek god
(B) a descendant of the Sun
(C) the creator of fire
(D) a mortal
2. An accurate statement concerning Zeus is that he
(A) was a lesser Greek god
(B) gave the mortals an abundance of gifts
(C) took no interest in the mortal race of men
(D) feared all mortals living on Earth
3. Which gift was given to mankind by Prometheus prior to fire?
(A) Raw meat
(B) Apples
(C) The alphabet
(D) Warmth
4. What decree made by Zeus caused Prometheus to steal fire from the gods?
(A) All mortals should eventually die off.
(B) All mortals should eat their food raw and uncooked.
(C) Prometheus should be shackled to a rock.
(D) All mortals should shiver inside of their caves at night.
5. Where did Prometheus locate the gift of fire upon Mount Olympus?
(A) In Apollo’s chariot
(B) On the stalk of a fennel plant
(C) Adjacent to a large rock
(D) Under an eagle’s nest
6. The gift of fire unleashed what attributes among the mortals on Earth?
(A) Inventiveness and productivity
(B) Deception and outrage
(C) Kindness and forgiveness
(D) Peace and harmony
7. What punishment did Zeus inflict on Prometheus for his flagrant disobedience?
(A) 30 years of hard labor
(B) To be burned at the stake
(C) To roam the Caucasus mountain range for eternity
(D) To be chained to a large rock for 30,000 years
8. Each day during the punishment of Prometheus, he would be tormented by
(A) Hercules
(B) Zeus’s eagle
(C) Apollo
(D) Hesperides
9. How many years of punishment did Prometheus actually serve in the Caucasus Mountain range?
(A) 30,000 years
(B) 12 years
(C) 3,000 years
(D) 30 years
10. As the introducer of fire to mankind, Prometheus is known as
(A) the patron of civilization
(B) the giver of great gifts
(C) the greatest of the immortals
(D) the patron saint of firefighters
As a young boy, Benjamin Franklin lived in Boston. The city of Boston had been greatly affected by fire, experiencing conflagrations in 1653, 1676, and 1711. At the age of six, Franklin witnessed the Great Fire of 1711. Franklin moved to Philadelphia at the age of 18 and was eager to make his new home a safer place against the perils of fire.
In 1682, William Penn founded what is now the city of Philadelphia. He had lived in England and seen firsthand the devastation of the Great London Fire of 1666. Penn was determined to reduce the possibility of fire in his new town. He ensured that buildings were adequately separated by wide streets, which would act as fire breaks and prevent conflagrations. Penn also encouraged the use of noncombustible materials (brick and stone) instead of wood to construct buildings and enacted a fire ordinance requiring chimney cleaning, thereby making chimneys less susceptible to fire and fire spread. In 1718, Philadelphia bought its first fire engine, but it was not placed into service until after the most disastrous fire to rage in the town’s history destroyed the Fishbourn wharf area in 1730.
After the blaze, the city ordered fire equipment, including leather buckets, fire hooks, ladders, and engines, from England. Franklin wrote about the dangers of fire and the need for organized fire protection in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. After another conflagration ravaged the city in 1736, Franklin formed a fire brigade known as the Union Fire Company with 30 volunteers. This was the first such organized volunteer fire company in America. Franklin was designated the fire chief. Quickly, the idea of volunteer fire companies gained popularity, and additional brigades were formed not only in Philadelphia but also throughout the Colonies. Some famous Americans who served as volunteer firefighters include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
1. Where did William Penn originally learn about the devastation of fire?
(A) London
(B) Boston
(C) Philadelphia
(D) New York
2. What event caused the city of Philadelphia to order fire equipment from England?
(A) The Boston conflagration of 1711
(B) The Great London Fire of 1666
(C) The Fishbourn wharf fire of 1730
(D) The conflagration of 1736
3. When did Philadelphia place its first fire engine into service?
(A) As a result of the conflagration in 1736
(B) After the Fishbourn wharf fire of 1730
(C) In 1736 when Franklin formed the Union Fire Company
(D) In 1718
4. According to the passage, Benjamin Franklin did all of the following EXCEPT
(A) writing about the dangers of fire in the Pennsylvania Gazette
(B) enacting a fire ordinance requiring chimney cleaning
(C) forming a fire brigade
(D) being designated a fire chief
5. What did William Penn do to reduce the possibility of fire in his new town?
(A) He organized the Union Fire Company.
(B) He encouraged the use of wood in building construction.
(C) He had buildings built close together on narrow streets.
(D) He had buildings constructed with noncombustible materials.
6. From the information in the passage, approximately what year did Franklin move from Boston to Philadelphia?
(A) 1723
(B) 1726
(C) 1728
(D) 1729
7. Subsequent to the 1730 fire that destroyed the Fishbourn wharf area, what article of colonial firefighting equipment listed below was purchased?
(A) Speaking trumpet
(B) Life net
(C) Leather buckets
(D) Fire hose
8. The word “conflagration,” as used in the passage, means most nearly
(A) a large, major fire
(B) a natural disaster
(C) a storm warning
(D) a volunteer fire company
The Maltese cross is a symbol that dates back to the time of the Crusades. It is a badge of honor that was first issued to courageous soldiers known as the Knights of St. John, who lived on Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, and fought gallantly in their war against the Saracens for possession of the Holy Land. A key weapon used by the Saracens was known as Greek fire, made from fuel oil and a secret mixture of chemicals. The Saracens poured this flammable concoction into jars and pots and threw them, like hand grenades, at their enemy. Barrels were also filled with Greek fire and catapulted across great distances.
During the battles, many knights risked their lives in attempts to save their companions in arms from being killed by the flames produced by these weapons. For their heroic efforts, these knights were recognized by fellow Crusaders and awarded a badge of courage—The Maltese cross.
The Maltese cross represents bravery under the threat of fire. The cross is used throughout the fire service as a symbol of protection and bravery. Firefighters who wear or carry this cross are performing the same acts of valor, saving victims from fire, as the brave Knights of St. John did so many years ago.
1. Which of the following is another appropriate title for this passage?
(A) Greek Fire and Weapons of the Middle Ages
(B) The Saracens
(C) The Crusaders and the Holy Land
(D) The Knights of St. John
2. According to the passage, what did the Saracens use as a weapon in their battles against the Knights of St. John?
(A) Greek fire
(B) Crossbows
(C) Hand grenades
(D) Long spears
3. The Maltese cross represents all of the following EXCEPT
(A) self-sacrifice
(B) protection
(C) honor
(D) weaponry
4. The origin of the Knights of St. John can be traced back to
(A) the Holy Land
(B) Malta
(C) Greece
(D) the Saracen Empire
5. The war between the Saracens and the Crusaders was fought for what reason?
(A) Control of the Mediterranean Sea
(B) Use of the Maltese cross as a heroic symbol
(C) Possession of the Holy Land
(D) Knowledge of the secret ingredients to making Greek fire
Fire marks were first used in London by insurance companies in 1667. The Fire Office, which was the first fire insurance company formed, used a phoenix rising out of flames as its fire mark emblem in order to identify policyholders and their properties. To minimize claims, insurance companies also organized their own fire brigades to extinguish fires quickly and reduce damage and loss. In London, insurance company fire brigades only extinguished fires in structures that had the respective insurance company fire mark. This arrangement went on until the late 1880s. In 1886, however, with the cost of compensation becoming too expensive, the government was asked to take over responsibility for protecting life and property from fire. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade was established.
In America, however, organized firefighting existed outside of insurance companies. Insurance companies organized fire patrols to help in salvage operations at a fire, but not to fight fires themselves. The first American insurance company fire mark consisted of four clasped and crossed leaden hands mounted on a wooden shield. A fire mark was more of a promotional item and was not needed to show a property was insured. Volunteer fire companies would attempt to extinguish fires whether or not a property displayed a fire mark. In fact, most American insurance companies did not issue fire marks. One possible advantage of displaying a fire mark was that it might have deterred an arsonist from intentionally destroying property. The fire mark signaled that the owner would be compensated for damages and that law enforcement would likely attempt to find the arsonist.
The use of fire marks spread throughout the country and peaked from 1850 to 1870. Some of the better known fire marks and their known history include:
U.F. Fireman—This 1860 fire mark of the United Fireman’s Insurance Co. of Philadelphia depicts one of the first steam-powered fire engines ever used.
Star—A six-pointed star fire mark first issued in 1794. It is one of the rarest of the early fire marks.
F&A Hose—An original still remains in Independence Hall.
Sun—A fire mark of unknown origin. This fire mark indicated the policy number on a small plaque at the bottom.
1. In what city were fire marks first used?
(A) Philadelphia
(B) New York
(C) London
(D) None of the above
2. Why did insurance companies in London organize their own fire brigades?
(A) To minimize claims
(B) To deter arson
(C) To impress future clients
(D) None of the above
3. Name the primary reason why the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was established.
(A) Need for expansion
(B) The cost of compensation was too expensive
(C) Government insisted on it
(D) All of the above
4. Fire patrols in America were organized to perform what type of work?
(A) Firefighting
(B) Overhaul
(C) Fire prevention
(D) Salvage
5. Describe the first American insurance company’s fire mark.
(A) A six-pointed star
(B) A fire hydrant and hose
(C) A sun
(D) Four clasped and crossed leaden hands
6. In America, why were fire marks a possible deterrent for arson?
(A) The owner would be compensated for damages.
(B) They were made of noncombustible materials.
(C) They were reflective and could be seen in the dark.
(D) None of the above
7. Select from the choices below a year when fire marks in America were most plentiful.
(A) 1794
(B) 1860
(C) 1886
(D) 1667
The first recognized female firefighter of the United States was Molly Williams. She was a slave from New York City who was highly regarded by her fellow firefighters during the early 1800s. She was a member of the Oceanus Engine Company No. 11. Firefighter Williams was remembered for pulling the pumper to fires through heavy snow during the blizzard of 1818. Williams could be easily spotted on the fireground since she often wore a calico dress and checked apron!
Marina Betts followed Williams into firefighting. She was a volunteer firefighter in Pittsburgh in the 1820s. Firefighter Betts was known for her hard work and extraordinary dedication to fighting fires. It was said that firefighter Betts never missed an alarm during her 10 years of service. She is additionally remembered for pouring buckets of water over the heads of male bystanders who refused to assist firefighters at fires. Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an honorary member of the Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 5 in San Francisco in 1863, is also considered to be one of the first female firefighters in America. As a teenager, she helped her company haul the engine to a fire on Telegraph Hill.
At the beginning of the next century, there were women’s volunteer fire companies located in Maryland and California. During World War II, women served as firefighters in America replacing firemen who were overseas fighting in the war. In fact, during WWII, two fire departments in Illinois were all-female. Additionally, in 1942 the first all-female forest firefighting crew in California was created. The first known female fire chief in the United States was Ruth E. Capello. In 1973, she became fire chief of the Butte Falls fire department in Oregon.
1. Why is Molly Williams considered a woman pioneer of the U.S. fire service?
(A) She was a slave.
(B) She worked in a snowstorm.
(C) She was the first recognized female firefighter.
(D) None of the above
2. Why was firefighter Williams easy to recognize at fire scenes?
(A) She wore a calico dress and checked apron.
(B) She was hardworking and dedicated to her company.
(C) She was highly regarded by her fellow firefighters.
(D) All of the above
3. Select the female pioneer firefighter who is known for never missing an alarm during her years of service.
(A) Molly Williams
(B) Marina Betts
(C) Lillie Hitchcock Coit
(D) Ruth E. Capello
4. Lillie Hitchcock Coit was an honorary member of what fire company?
(A) Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 5
(B) Butte Falls
(C) Oceanus Engine Company No. 11
(D) California hot shots
5. What was the main reason behind the formation of all-female fire departments in the 1940s?
(A) Male bystanders refused to assist firefighters at fires.
(B) Male citizens were not interested in the job.
(C) Males were serving overseas in the armed forces.
(D) All of the above
6. Why is Ruth E. Capello considered a woman pioneer of the U.S. Fire Service?
(A) She worked for the Butte Falls fire department in Oregon.
(B) She was the first female firefighter in Oregon.
(C) She was the first female fire chief.
(D) None of the above
It is important that firefighters know the various types of building construction in their community districts since firefighting strategy and tactics are based upon it. Recognizing construction type is key to a successful operation at fire scenes. Some building types burn faster than other types. Collapse potential as a result of fire is also dependent upon building construction type. Determining the type of building construction incorrectly can be dangerous for firefighters. Many firefighters have been seriously injured as a result. Ordering an aggressive interior hose line attack inside a vacant building with combustible load-bearing walls that is fully involved in fire is just one example of how firefighters can get hurt or worse. This reading passage seeks to summarize the five types of building construction for firefighter candidates.
Load-bearing walls (both exterior and interior), columns, beams, girders, trusses, and arches are made of noncombustible materials that have the maximum fire-resistive rating as prescribed by code. They are commonly composed of steel and/or masonry. The roof and floors are also fire-resistive rated although generally not to the degree of the structural members (load-bearing building components) mentioned in the first sentence of this paragraph. Examples of fire-resistive construction include: high-rise office buildings and shopping centers.
Load-bearing walls (both exterior and interior), columns, beams, girders, trusses, arches, and floors can have the same fire-resistive rating, although not to the degree of fire-resistive buildings. The roof and floors may or may not have a fire-resistive rating. Commonly these buildings have masonry walls and lightweight steel roofs. Examples of noncombustible construction include warehouses and automobile repair shops.
These types of building are commonly referred to as brick and joist buildings. Masonry or brick fire-resistive load-bearing walls enclose interior wooden structural members (columns, beams, girders, trusses, and joists), which may or may not be required to be fire resistive. The roof and floors also may or may not be required to be fire resistive. Examples of ordinary construction include retail stores and apartment buildings.
These types of building, also known as mill buildings, were constructed mainly for factories. Exterior load-bearing walls are fire resistive and made of masonry or brick. Interior columns, beams, girders, and joists are made of large-dimensional lumber to help resist the ravages of fire for long periods of time before failure. In “hybrid” heavy timber buildings, however, cast-iron columns are used in place of wooden columns. The roof and floors may or may not be required to be fire resistive.
This is the only type of construction to have combustible load-bearing exterior walls. Interior columns, beams, girders, and joists consist of nominal dimensional lumber. The roof and floors, like the structural members mentioned in the first two sentences of this paragraph, may or may not be required to be fire resistive. The one-family home is an example of this type of construction.
1. Why is it important for firefighters to know about building construction?
(A) To pass promotional exams
(B) To help differentiate between occupied and vacant buildings
(C) To formulate strategy and tactics
(D) To facilitate getting water on a fire
2. What can be the consequences of determining the type of building construction inaccurately?
(A) Embarrassment
(B) Serious injury to firefighters
(C) A successful operation
(D) Less manpower requirements
3. In the first paragraph of the reading passage, combustible load-bearing walls are mentioned. What type of building construction is most likely being referred to?
(A) Type V
(B) Type IV
(C) Type II
(D) Type I
4. What is the primary goal of the reading passage?
(A) To explain in-depth high-rise building construction
(B) To review ways buildings collapse in fires
(C) To validate the need for firefighters to perform building inspections
(D) To summarize the five types of building construction
5. What type of buildings are commonly called Type III—ordinary buildings?
(A) Heavy timber buildings
(B) Mill buildings
(C) Brick and joist buildings
(D) Wood frame buildings
6. A one-family home is an example of what type of building construction?
(A) Type V
(B) Type IV
(C) Type III
(D) Type II
7. What type of building listed below is most likely to have its roof and floors fire-resistive rated?
(A) Warehouse
(B) Apartment building
(C) High-rise office building
(D) Factory
8. What does the term “structural member” most likely mean?
(A) Fire-resistive rated
(B) Collapse potential
(C) An interior wall that does not support a load or weight
(D) A load-bearing building component
9. In high-rise office buildings, what construction material commonly makes up the exterior walls?
(A) Wood
(B) Steel
(C) Brick
(D) Large-dimensional lumber
10. What makes “hybrid” heavy timber construction unique?
(A) Use of large-dimensional lumber
(B) Use of nominal dimensional lumber
(C) Use of steel for the exterior walls
(D) Use of cast-iron columns
11. Heavy timber buildings are also called what other kind of buildings?
(A) Mill
(B) Brick and joist
(C) Ordinary
(D) Wood frame
12. Select from the choices below what you would consider to be a combustible material.
(A) Masonry
(B) Steel
(C) Wood
(D) Brick
Reading Passage 1: Carbon Monoxide, the Invisible Killer
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. C
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. D
Reading Passage 2: Genesis of Fire
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. D
8. B
9. D
10. A
Reading Passage 3: Philadelphia and Colonial Fire Protection
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. B
5. D
6. A
7. C
8. A
Reading Passage 4: The Significance of the Maltese Cross
1. D
2. A
3. D
4. B
5. C
Reading Passage 5: Fire Marks
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. D
5. D
6. A
7. B
Reading Passage 6: Women Pioneers of the United States Fire Service
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. C
Reading Passage 7: Know Your Buildings
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. C
6. A
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. D
11. A
12. C