Modifying and Confirming Predictions
Reading Comprehension: Making Predictions
Triangle of Trouble?
A U.S. Navy plane flies through thick clouds over the ocean
Photo credit: Background: GettyTim82/iStock/Getty Images, Inset: National Archives
On a December afternoon in 1945, five U.S. Navy planes took off from a Florida airbase on a routine peacetime training mission. The 14 crewmembers expected to return by dinnertime. Their navigation instruments malfunctioned, however, and they got lost. A search-and-rescue aircraft with a crew of 13 was dispatched to find them. It disappeared.
No traces of the 27 crewmembers or their planes were ever found, although hundreds of ships and planes scoured thousands of square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. The Navy's official report proclaimed it was "as if they had flown to Mars."
The perplexing tragedy is part of the headline-grabbing history of the Bermuda Triangle.
A map shows the area of the Bermuda Triangle, with Bermuda as its northeast tip; Miami, Florida as its western point; and Puerto Rico as the southern tip of the triangle
Digital illustration: Achieve3000. Background photo: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Where Is the Bermuda Triangle?
The Bermuda Triangle is part of the Atlantic Ocean, but it isn't an officially recognized geographic region, so its exact dimensions and location are disputed. Some say it covers about 500,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers), but others claim it's three times that size. By one definition, Bermuda is its northeast tip, and it extends south to Puerto Rico and west to Miami, Florida.
A History of Mystery?
The term Bermuda Triangle was coined in 1964, but eerie stories have been told about this stretch of sea for centuries. Christopher Columbus reported strange lights and erratic compass readings there in 1492. It's been estimated that in the last 500 years, about 50 ships and 20 aircraft have gone missing while navigating the notorious triangle.
The Search for Explanations
People have blamed the disappearances on various uncanny causes, from wizardry to time warps, and from space aliens to sea monsters. Others have proposed more scientific explanations, such as massive rogue waves or magnetic peculiarities affecting compasses.
The Truth about the Triangle
Scientists say the Bermuda Triangle doesn't deserve its deadly reputation. It's heavily traveled by ships and airplanes and subject to abrupt changes in weather and severe tropical storms. But according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-traveled area of the ocean."
Human beings, however, often don't let truth get in the way of a good story. Our love of mystery runs deep.
QUESTION 1
1 / 4
Based on information in the article, the reader can predict that __________.
scientists will discover evidence of the planes that were lost in the Bermuda Triangle in 1945
ships and airplanes will stop traveling through the Bermuda Triangle
there will always be people who love to read stories about the Bermuda Triangle
the Bermuda Triangle will be renamed when experts agree on its exact dimensions
The most accurate prediction based on the information in the article is that there will always be people who love to read stories about the Bermuda Triangle. This prediction is supported by the fact that despite scientific evidence disproving the Bermuda Triangle's deadly reputation, people still love the mystery and intrigue surrounding it.
QUESTION 1
1 / 4
Based on information in the article, the reader can predict that __________.
scientists will discover evidence of the planes that were lost in the Bermuda Triangle in 1945
ships and airplanes will stop traveling through the Bermuda Triangle
there will always be people who love to read stories about the Bermuda Triangle
the Bermuda Triangle will be renamed when experts agree on its exact dimensions
The most accurate prediction based on the information in the article is that there will always be people who love to read stories about the Bermuda Triangle. This prediction is supported by the mention of the enduring mystery and fascination with the Bermuda Triangle despite scientific explanations provided in the article.
QUESTION 2
2 / 4
Based on the article, which of these is true about the Bermuda Triangle?
The Bermuda Triangle has had more disappearances than other Atlantic Ocean routes.
The Bermuda Triangle is not a very well-traveled part of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Bermuda Triangle is not part of an officially recognized geographic region.
The Bermuda Triangle has consistent and mostly calm weather patterns.
Based on the article, the true statement about the Bermuda Triangle is: The Bermuda Triangle is not part of an officially recognized geographic region.
QUESTION 3
3 / 4
Which passage from the article best supports the idea that the Bermuda Triangle is not unusually dangerous?
Christopher Columbus reported strange lights and erratic compass readings there.
People have blamed the disappearances on various uncanny causes, from wizardry to time warps.
The perplexing tragedy is part of the headline-grabbing history of the Bermuda Triangle.
Scientists say the Bermuda Triangle doesn't deserve its deadly reputation.