Listening and reading: passenger ships
Intermediate level (B1/B2)

It’s a 100 years since the Titanic disaster. At the time people said it couldn’t be sunk. In January this year 32 people died when the Costa Concordia hit rocks off the Italian coast. When I see the size of the latest cruise ships, I wonder if an even worse disaster is just around the corner.

Listen Titanic arrogance

About the Titanic:

• There were 2,224 passengers
• It was built in Northern Ireland
• The life boats were designed to ferry passengers to another ship (and go back again to pick up more people)
• 176 men had to fuel the steam engines with coal
• At the beginning of the voyage at Southampton, Titanic very nearly hit another ship. It missed by only about 1 metre!
• 97% of women travelling first class survived but 54% of women travelling third class died!
• If necessary Titanic could convert sea water into drinking water
• There was an on-board telephone system for the passengers
• It took 26 months to build
• Titanic was only about half full. Many people who planned to go on Titanic’s first (maiden) voyage decided to postpone their journey because there had been a coal strike and shipping schedules had been disrupted.

Here is a link to a website for all things Titanic
http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/