Question

read the story. then, answer the questions.titanicin the spring of 1912, the titanic set off from england. this was its first journey. the titanic was a luxury ship headed for new york city. but, its journey across the icy atlantic ocean was cut short. around midnight on april 14, the ship hit an iceberg. in less than three hours the ship had sunk. over 700 people survived. however, more than 1,500 lives were lost. because of the way the titanic was built, everyone thought it was impossible for the ship to sink. this certainty led to several of the causes of the disaster. we now know that the captain had ignored warnings of ice. he pushed the titanic too fast through dangerous waters. we also know that there were not enough lifeboats on board. because of the titanic disaster, new rules were set. now people know that every ship can sink, so ships must carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board.1. what is the main idea of this story?a. the titanic was unsinkable.b. the sinking of the titanic was a huge disaster.c. a ship called the titanic left england in 1912.2. what does the phrase cut short in this story mean?it means the titanc was a huge disaster3. what does the story say contributed to, or caused, the disaster?the captain ignored the ice warnings4. circle the correct word in parentheses to complete each sentence.a. the titanic sank (after, before) it left england.b. the captain received warnings of ice (after, before) the titanic hit an iceberg.c. over 700 people aboard the titanic survived (after, before) the ship sank.5. what visual aids (e.g., maps, photographs) would help you better understand this story? why?6. what do you think might have happened if the titanic had provided enough lifeboats for everyone? on a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph explaining your opinion.

Explanation:

1. For question 1, the story focuses on the sinking event, its human cost, causes, and aftermath, so option b is the main idea.
2. For question 2, "cut short" in context means the journey ended abruptly.
3. For question 3, the story lists two main causes: the captain ignoring ice warnings/speeding, and insufficient lifeboats.
4. For question 4, use timeline details from the story to select correct words:

a. The ship sank after departing England.
b. Warnings came before the iceberg collision.
c. Survivors were rescued after the ship sank.

1. For question 5, visual aids help visualize the ship, route, and disaster context.
2. For question 6, more lifeboats would likely reduce the death toll significantly.

Answer:

1. b. The sinking of the Titanic was a huge disaster.
2. It means the Titanic's journey ended abruptly (was not completed) because of the iceberg collision.
3. The captain ignored ice warnings and sailed too fast in dangerous waters; there were not enough lifeboats on board.

4.
a. after
b. before
c. after

1. Examples include:

• A photograph of the Titanic: to visualize its size and luxury.
• A map of its Atlantic route: to understand its path and where it hit the iceberg.
• A diagram of the lifeboat arrangement: to see the shortage of lifeboats.

These aids make the event's scale, location, and key issues more concrete.

1. If the Titanic had enough lifeboats for everyone, the death toll would have been drastically lower. Most passengers and crew could have safely evacuated the sinking ship instead of being trapped or drowning in the icy Atlantic. While there still might have been some casualties from exposure or chaos during evacuation, the majority of the over 1,500 people who died would likely have survived, making the tragedy far less devastating.