* The Titanic *With 11 decks and stretching a full 305 metres, it was thegreatest ocean liner of its time. The ship had been fitted outin style with plush cabins, electric lifts, squash courts, agymnasium and a heated indoor swimming pool. Therewas a hospital to cope with any passengers wh;;-be.cameill; and to cater for meals, it carried a dinner service of100,000 plates. The owners, the shipbuilders, thecaptain, in fact everyone said that the Titanic wasunsinkable. Perhaps this was the reason why only enough. lifeboats for half of the. passengers were placed on board.

Tickets for its maiden voyage were snapped up eagerlyand there were over 2,000 people on board when it set outfrom Southampton for New York on 11 April 1912.

Disaster was to strike after only four days at sea. With the captain and crew determined tobreak the record for an Atlantic crossing, the liner had been ploughing through calm, g

seas at' a speed of 22 knots. It had entered an area known as the Grandwhen two radio reports from other ships were received, warning of I

icebergs. The warnings were ignored.The Titanic steamed ahead at full speed. It was almost,midnight when Frederick Fleet, the lookout in thecrew's-nest, suddenly spotted an iceberg loomingin the darkness. But his frantic warning cries were toolate to prevent the collision. A huge hole was ripped

the side of the liner and the water poured in.At first the passengers carried on as normal but within

minutes the water had risen five metres inside the ship.Distress signals were sent out to a nearby liner, the

Californian, but its radio had been switched off.Panic spread as the huge liner listed to one side andbegan to sink.By the time another liner, the Carpathia, finally arri

to help, 1,490 people had drowned in the icy seas.The loss of the Titanic was one of the greatest

catastrophes in the history of navigation.

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Answer these questions.

1. What major safety error did the builders of the Titanic make?2. Why was such a basic error allowed to occur?3. Describe the Titanic .

. 4. What was the destination of its maiden voyage?5. What plunder did the captain make?6. Why did FrederickFleet become alarmed?7. Why did the Californian not come to help the '

stricken liner?8. How many people drowned?9. Why do you think so many people drowned?

10. Imagine you were a newspaper reporter in 1912.Write a paragraph telling about the loss of the Titanic.

, Use your dictionary' to look up the highlighted words in the story.

Summarise the story in your own words. Use about 10 sentences.'

--Writethe phrases with the correct word.

La of sugar 8. a of bread2. a of sand 9. a of food3. a of tea 10. a of sunshine4. a of dirt 11. a of light5. a of pepper 12. a of wind6. a of water 13. a of air7. a of butter ~ 14. a of snow<;

In 1912, the only way for people to cross the Atlantic from. Europe to North Americawas by ship. How long do you think the journey took?

Imagine you were a passenger on the Titanic. Describe in your own words whathappened on your journey from Southampton until you were rescued by theCarpathia.

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