Page 15 - Reading Success B7

The RMS (Royal Mail Steamer) Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner

that at the time of her sinking was the largest passenger steamship in the world.
The ship was 882 feet 9 inches long and 92 feet 6 inches wide. It took 159 coal

burning furnaces to power her. She could travel at a maximum speed of 23 knots.
She had a maximum capacity of 3,547 passengers and crew. At the time she was

built she was considered to be the pinnacle of naval architecture and
technological achievement. She was even thought to be an unsinkable ship.

The Titanic’s maiden voyage would go from England to France, then to Ireland,

and finally to New York. However, on Sunday, April 14, 1912, while she was on
her way to New York she struck an iceberg. She sunk only two hours and forty

minutes later on Monday, April 15. Striking the iceberg caused her to break into
two pieces. Since the Titanic was thought to be unsinkable she did not have

enough lifeboats for all the passengers and crew. Many people died when the ship
sunk. The figures regarding the number of people who died in the crash vary.

The United States Senate investigation reported that 1,517 people lost their lives
in the incident, while a British investigation tallies the number of dead at 1,490.

Regardless of the exact numbers, the Titanic disaster ranks as one of the worst

and most infamous maritime disasters in history. The Titanic has remained
famous many years after her sinking due to the media frenzy about some of her

famous victims, the legends about what happened onboard the ship, the changes
to maritime law caused by the tragedy, and the eventual discovery of the wreck.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. the history of the Titanic

b. the building of the Titanic
c. the victims of the Titanic’s sinking

d. exploring the wreckage of the Titanic

18_Reading Success B 7