1)Answer these questions.1)Answer these questions.

A) What sort of book is this?A) What sort of book is this?

An encyclopedia of great An encyclopedia of great mysteries.mysteries.

B) Look at the map. Why is the first B) Look at the map. Why is the first part of the text called The part of the text called The Bermuda Triangle? What might it Bermuda Triangle? What might it be about?be about?

It is called The Bermuda Triangle It is called The Bermuda Triangle because it is about a triangular because it is about a triangular area of sea around Bermuda.area of sea around Bermuda.

C) Look at the picture. What might C) Look at the picture. What might this ship be called?this ship be called?

The Mary CelesteThe Mary Celeste

2) Confirm or correct your answers 2) Confirm or correct your answers to 2 and 3 above.to 2 and 3 above.

This is a large area of the This is a large area of the Atlantic which is famous Atlantic which is famous because many ships and planes because many ships and planes have have mysteriouslymysteriously disappeared disappeared there. The worst disaster of all there. The worst disaster of all was in 1918 when the American was in 1918 when the American ship Cyclops, with a ship Cyclops, with a crewcrew of 300, of 300, sank without even a call for help. sank without even a call for help. The most famous was the 1945 The most famous was the 1945 disappearancedisappearance of Flight 19, with of Flight 19, with 14 crew members. 14 crew members.

The five planes left The five planes left Florida at 14:00 for a Florida at 14:00 for a simple training simple training flight .Then, at 15:45 , they flight .Then, at 15:45 , they reported that their reported that their navigation equipment had navigation equipment had stopped working , and they stopped working , and they were lost .Later, they were lost .Later, they thought they were over the thought they were over the Gulf of Mexico and turned Gulf of Mexico and turned east to find Florida .In fact, east to find Florida .In fact, they must have been over they must have been over the Atlantic, and they the Atlantic, and they should have flown west.should have flown west.

Their radio messages Their radio messages started started fadingfading and at the and at the same time , stormy weather same time , stormy weather was developing. Soon after was developing. Soon after dark , they must have run dark , they must have run out of fuel and crashed far out of fuel and crashed far out in the Atlantic. The out in the Atlantic. The tragedy was made worse tragedy was made worse soon afterwards when a soon afterwards when a rescue plane that was rescue plane that was searching for them searching for them explodedexploded and crashed .and crashed .

Many people have Many people have survived and reported survived and reported strange experiences n the strange experiences n the Bermuda Triangle. Planes Bermuda Triangle. Planes suddenly drop hundreds of suddenly drop hundreds of meters for no reason. meters for no reason. Ships half sink and then Ships half sink and then slowly rise again. Large slowly rise again. Large areas of sea turn rough areas of sea turn rough and white with bubbles and white with bubbles and rise up to a meter and rise up to a meter above water around. above water around.

There is now an There is now an explanation . It seems that explanation . It seems that large amounts gas large amounts gas (CH4)lie beneath the (CH4)lie beneath the Bermuda Triangle seabed-Bermuda Triangle seabed-and many other parts of and many other parts of the words seabeds. the words seabeds. Methane has no color or Methane has no color or smell, it is light and it smell, it is light and it explodes easily.explodes easily.

Escapes of seabed gas can Escapes of seabed gas can therefore explain everything. As it therefore explain everything. As it rises through the sea, the water rises through the sea, the water becomes less dense and ships start becomes less dense and ships start sinking. When t rises to sky, the sinking. When t rises to sky, the same thing happens to the air and same thing happens to the air and to the planes. Large gas escapes to the planes. Large gas escapes can also cause arias of rough, white can also cause arias of rough, white water. Moreover, the rough water water. Moreover, the rough water can (ionise) the air above and give can (ionise) the air above and give it an electrical charge, making it an electrical charge, making navigation equipment useless. navigation equipment useless.

Finally, Finally, just a just a cigarette cigarette can cause a can cause a large large methane methane explosion. explosion.

In November 1872, In November 1872, Captain Briggs, his wife Captain Briggs, his wife and daughter, and a crew and daughter, and a crew of seven left New York on of seven left New York on board his small cargo ship, board his small cargo ship, the Mary Celeste.the Mary Celeste.

On December 5, the Dei On December 5, the Dei Gratia discovered the Mary Gratia discovered the Mary Celeste a little to the east Celeste a little to the east of the Azores. The ship was of the Azores. The ship was in good conditionin good condition, but , but ….there nobody on board. ….there nobody on board. The cargo was complete.The cargo was complete.

Just the ships Just the ships lifeboat and lifeboat and navigation equipment navigation equipment were gone. All ten were gone. All ten people must have left people must have left together. But why, together. But why, the world wonderedthe world wondered. .

Might pirates have Might pirates have attacked and put them in attacked and put them in the life boat? But that the life boat? But that can not have happened can not have happened because they would because they would have taken the ship and have taken the ship and cargo. Could a water cargo. Could a water spout have carried spout have carried everyone away? It can everyone away? It can not have done. At least not have done. At least one or two people would one or two people would have been below deck have been below deck and would have and would have survived. Could a sea survived. Could a sea monster have killed monster have killed them all? Hardly. them all? Hardly.

Now, at last, there is a better Now, at last, there is a better explanation.explanation.

There may have been There may have been an??????????????????????????????????????an????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

3)Say what these numbers refer to3)Say what these numbers refer to..a)300a)300The number of people in the crew of The number of people in the crew of

the American ship Cyclops.the American ship Cyclops.b)1945b)1945The year when flight 19 disappearedThe year when flight 19 disappeared..c)15.45c)15.45 The time when they reported the The time when they reported the

their navigation equipment had their navigation equipment had stopped working. stopped working.

3)Hundreds of meters.3)Hundreds of meters.

The distance that planes suddenly The distance that planes suddenly drop.drop.

e) December 5e) December 5

The date when the Mary Celeste The date when the Mary Celeste was found floating without a was found floating without a crew.crew.

f) Tenf) Ten

The number of people who had The number of people who had been on the Mary Celeste and been on the Mary Celeste and left the ship together.left the ship together.

44) Answer these questions.) Answer these questions.

1)1) Say what sort of mysterious event both Say what sort of mysterious event both parts of the text describe.parts of the text describe.

Mysterious disappearances in or near the Mysterious disappearances in or near the Bermuda Triangle.Bermuda Triangle.

22) How do we know for sure that the crews ) How do we know for sure that the crews of Flight 19 became completely lost?of Flight 19 became completely lost?

Their radio massages indicated that Their radio massages indicated that they were over the Gulf of Mexico, but they were over the Gulf of Mexico, but they must have been over the Atlantic . they must have been over the Atlantic . (they flew west , so if they had been (they flew west , so if they had been over the Gulf of MEXICO, they would over the Gulf of MEXICO, they would have come to Florida or one of the have come to Florida or one of the islands.)islands.)

3)What natural event seems to explain the 3)What natural event seems to explain the strange events in the Bermuda Triangle ?strange events in the Bermuda Triangle ?

Escapes of methane gas from the sea Escapes of methane gas from the sea bed.bed.

4)What shows that the people on the Mary 4)What shows that the people on the Mary Celeste must have hoped to sail safely to Celeste must have hoped to sail safely to land? land?

They took navigation equipment with They took navigation equipment with them in the lifeboat.them in the lifeboat.

5)What were some of explanations that 5)What were some of explanations that people suggested after the Mary Celeste people suggested after the Mary Celeste was found?was found?

Pirates might have attacked Pirates might have attacked the ship; a water spout could the ship; a water spout could have carried everyone away; a have carried everyone away; a sea monster could have killed sea monster could have killed them.them.

6)What explanation of the mystery 6)What explanation of the mystery does the writer seem to believe?does the writer seem to believe?

An escape of methane gas, An escape of methane gas, which made the crew think the which made the crew think the ship was sinking.ship was sinking.

55)Say who or what these words refer )Say who or what these words refer to.to.

1)Line 5:…… have mysteriously 1)Line 5:…… have mysteriously disappeared disappeared there.there.

The Bermuda Triangle.The Bermuda Triangle.2) Line 10: 2) Line 10: The five planesThe five planes left Florida left Florida

at 14:00 …….at 14:00 …….Flight 19.Flight 19.3)line20: The tragedy was made worse 3)line20: The tragedy was made worse

soon soon afterwards afterwards …..…..The disappearance of Flight 19.The disappearance of Flight 19.4)line56: Might pirates have attacked 4)line56: Might pirates have attacked

and put and put them …….them …….

The ten people on the Mary Celeste .The ten people on the Mary Celeste .

Line 58:…..Line 58:…..theythey would have taken would have taken the ship…..the ship…..

Pirates Pirates

66) Say what these words and mean.) Say what these words and mean.

1) Line 12: navigation equipment .1) Line 12: navigation equipment .

Things to enable people to work Things to enable people to work out their correct position and out their correct position and direction, such as a compass and direction, such as a compass and map.map.

• 2)line47:on board.2)line47:on board.

• On a ship; boat or plane.On a ship; boat or plane.

• 3)Line 55: the world wondered.3)Line 55: the world wondered.

• People in many countries asked People in many countries asked themselves.themselves.

• 4)Line 61:below deck4)Line 61:below deck..

• Inside the ship , below the Inside the ship , below the outside floor of the ship.outside floor of the ship.

Disappearances, Disappearances, monsters, monsters, UFOs….there is UFOs….there is always a simple always a simple explanation in the explanation in the end.end.

I do not agree. I do not agree. Some things are Some things are just too strange to just too strange to explain.explain.

SAY WHAT YOU SAY WHAT YOU

THINK?THINK?