The Week issue 662, 26 April 2008 The tiny rivets that sank the Titanic

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Eustace Adams
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1 1. Getting started What do you know about the Titanic? Why did she* sink? *Note that traditionally ships are called she, not it. 2. Before you read Look at the technical vocabulary below and try to match the words on the left with the definitions on the right: Engineering vocabulary 1. rivet a. a strong metal 2. iron b. a place where metal is worked 3. forge c. a short metal pin for holding together two flat pieces of metal Ship vocabulary 1. rudder a. the right-hand side 2. wreck b. a flat device at the back of the boat for steering it in the right direction 3. afloat c. on top of the water 4. starboard d. a ship destroyed at sea 3. Reading comprehension Now read the article and answer the following questions: a. Why, in Jennifer Hooper McCarty s opinion, did the Titanic sink? Give as much detail as you can. b. How has the company that built the ship reacted to this theory? c. What other theories are mentioned in the article? Page 1 of 5

2 4. Vocabulary Find the words from the article to match the definitions/synonyms below: Title very small:... Paragraph 1 defective:... not the best quality:... Paragraph 2 suggested:... very big:... luxurious passenger ships:... Paragraph 3 the directors:... recuperated/got back:... burst out:... imperfect/invalid: Discussion 1. Why do you think the title specifies that the rivets are tiny? 2. Can you think of any examples of poor design or engineering, big or small? e.g. a bridge that s too low for lorries to pass under it; fruit juice cartons that don t pour a. If the problem was due to a mistake, how did it happen? b. What were the consequences? Did they affect you personally? How did you feel? c. What was done about the problem? Is this what you would do about it? Page 2 of 5

3 6. In more depth 1. The verb to raise can mean different things in different contexts. Match the verbs in the box to the examples in the spidergram below: someone s salary: your hand: animals: to raise an objection: funds: to breed/grow to collect to make someone consider something to increase to lift Which meaning is the closest to the meaning of raised in exercise 2? Can you think of some other things that you could raise in this sense? 2. It s easy to confuse raise /reɪz/ and rise /raɪz/. They both mean increase, but they are used in different ways. Look at the examples below and answer the questions. i) The government has raised taxes. ii) Taxes have risen. a. Which verb has the past tenses rose, risen?... b. Which verb has the past tenses raised, raised?... c. Which verb has both a subject and an object (is transitive)?... d. Which verb has only a subject (is intransitive)?... e. In which sentence is the subject a person or group of people?... f. In which sentence is the subject a thing?... g. Which verb means that it just happens?... h. Which verb means that someone does it?... Now complete the sentences below with the correct forms of raise or rise : 1. The Bank of England wants to... interest rates. 2. Air fares... last year. 3. The price of food is I hope my boss will... my salary. 5. The number of people going to university has... dramatically over the last thirty years. 6. I hope the value of my house is going to Page 3 of 5

4 Teacher s notes Aim: for students to understand an authentic newspaper article and discuss design/engineering problems Optional: to analyse the different meanings of the verb raise ; to contrast raise and rise Timing: exercise 1: minutes; exercise 2: minutes; exercise 3: minutes; exercise 4: minutes; exercise 5: minutes Total: 1-11/2 hours 1. Getting started Everyone knows some fact or myth about the Titanic. You can check the official versions on: or: The short answer is: she hit an iceberg. 2. Before you read Engineering vocabulary 1c; 2a; 3b Ship vocabulary 1b; 2d; 3c; 4a 3. Reading comprehension a. She sank because the iron used in the rivets was of poor quality. When she hit the iceberg the rivets came out on the right and five compartments filled with water. The Titanic was designed to stay afloat with up to four compartments filled. b. The company, Harland and Wolff has said that it isn t true and that its shipbuilding wasn t poor quality. c. a faulty rudder; navigation errors (both in paragraph 1) 4. Vocabulary Title very small = tiny Paragraph 1 defective = faulty* not the best quality = second-rate Paragraph 2 suggested = raised very big = massive luxurious passenger ships = liners Paragraph 3 the directors = the board recuperated/got back = retrieved burst out = popped imperfect/invalid = flawed* *Note that typically a product is faulty or defective and a line of argument is flawed Page 4 of 5

5 5. Discussion 1. Because a problem with something very small made a very big ship sink, killing lots of people. For more on the Titanic, see The Supernatural : 6. In more depth 1. to raise someone s salary = to increase to raise your hand = to lift to raise an objection = to make someone consider something to raise funds = to collect to raise animals = to breed/grow to make someone consider something to raise a point, an issue, a subject, a topic, a matter, a question, doubts 2. a. to rise b. to raise c. to raise d. to rise e. to raise f. to rise g. to rise h. to raise 1. raise 2. rose 3. is rising 4. raise 5. risen 6. rise Page 5 of 5

AND THE WINNER IS. Choose the correct cinema-related words to complete the sentences. animated (adj) critic premiere scene part frame audition cast

AND THE WINNER IS. Choose the correct cinema-related words to complete the sentences. extra sequel screenplay stunt genre nominated box office star animated (adj) critic premiere scene part frame audition