The Titanic and its Illustrious Crew

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The Titanic and its Illustrious Crew: A Tribute to the Unsung Heroes

 

INTRODUCTION:
The RMS Titanic is a name that has been etched into history for more than a century. Known as the unsinkable ship that met its tragic end on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has become synonymous with tales of great tragedy and human endurance. While much has been said about the passengers and their fateful night, this blog post will focus on celebrating the stories of the crew members who served on this magnificent vessel and the pivotal role they played in its legacy.

NEW VOCABULARY: RMS, etched, unsinkable, maiden, voyage, synonymous, endurance, fateful, pivotal role, legacy

 SECTION ONE:  A Crew of Extraordinary Individuals:
The Titanic’s crew was comprised of over 900 workers, including officers, deck crew, engineers, stewards, and kitchen staff. Many of these individuals were highly qualified in their respective roles and were selected by White Star Line because of their exemplary skills and dedication.

One such crew member was Captain Edward Smith, an experienced sea captain who had previously commanded several White Star Line ships. Known for his calm demeanour in the face of adversity, he demonstrated true strength when disaster struck. Captain Edward Smith was born in Stoke on Trent in England. The same city that I was born and live in today. 

NEW VOCABULARY: deck, crew, stewards, kitchen staff, respective roles, exemplary

SECTION TWO:

Also among the ranks was Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde, popular for his affable nature and strong work ethic. He displayed admirable courage on several occasions during the cruise by coordinating lifeboat deployment and leading rescue missions.

Down below deck, a team of engineers worked tirelessly to maintain the ship’s immense power plant. Their leader, Thomas Andrews Jr., was not only responsible for overseeing the engines but also took part in designing various aspects of the ship as one of Harland & Wolff’s shipbuilders.

NEW VOCABULARY:   ranks, affable, work ethic, admirable, courage, cruise, lifeboat, deployment, rescue missions, below deck, tirelessly, immense, power plant, overseeing, engines, various, aspects, shipbuilders

VIDEO LISTENING SECTION ONE: Watch the video below and answer the questions.

QUESTIONS:

1. 1. 1. 1. What does “RMS” mean?
         2. How many propellors did the Titanic have?
         3. What is the “stern” of a ship?
         4. When a ship is “in dock” what does it mean?
         5. What is a “suite” on a ship or in a hotel?
         6. What was “The Marconi Room” and who was Marconi?
         7. How many lifeboats did the Titanic have and what was the total passenger capacity of the lifeboats? How many passengers were onboard the Titanic?
         8. What year did they find the wreck of the Titanic?
         9. Where was the Titanic built?
         10. What is the name of the company that built the Titanic?
         11. In the Titanic movie, what was the character’s name played by Leonard De Caprio? And what was his real name on the passenger list?
         12. In the Titanic movie, what was the character’s name played by Kate Winslet? And what was her real name on the passenger list?

SECTION THREE:  Amidst Tragedy: Stories of Heroism:
When the unthinkable happened and Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, it was her crew who rose to the challenge to face uncertainty with bravery. Stories abound about their resilience and sacrifice as they prioritized saving passengers over themselves.

Stewardess Violet Jessop recounted how she escorted frightened women and children to lifeboats, trying her best to keep them calm and safe while she could. Similarly, many lifeboat crews rowed tirelessly through the freezing waters to save lives, despite the risk of drifting away or capsizing from overcrowding.

NEW VOCABULARY:  unthinkable, struck, iceberg, rose, challenge, bravery, abound, resilience, sacrifice, stewardess, recounted, escorted, frightened, rowed,  freezing, drifting, capsizing, overcrowding

VIDEO LISTENING SECTION TWO: Watch the video below and answer the questions.

QUESTIONS:

1. 1. 1. 1. According to the news item, how many years is it since the movie was released?
         2. How many Australian dollars did the movie gross?
         3. Leonard said he didn’t want to be in the movie saying it wasn’t challenging enough for him. But Kate Winslet had to “Beg” for the part. What does “beg” mean?
         4. What nationality is Kate Winslet and where exactly was she born?
         5. While in the freezing water just before Jack died, what did he make Rose promise?

SECTION FOUR:

One exemplary act of heroism came from Wallace Hartley and his band of seven musicians who played calming music on deck as passengers rushed to find safety. The selfless act of these individuals is indicative of the dedicated and resilient nature many among the crew embodied during those fateful hours.

NEW VOCABULARY:  exemplary, heroism, on deck, rushed, selfless act, indicative, dedicated, resilient, embodied, fateful, hours

SECTION FIVE:

Conclusion:
While the Titanic’s tragic end remains a sombre warning about human hubris, it also serves as a reminder of the heroes within her crew who gave their all in service to others that night. Their tales should be honoured and remembered, as they stand testament to the indomitable human spirit amidst adversity.

NEW VOCABULARY:   sombre, warning, hubris, heroes, honoured, stand testament, indomitable, amidst, adversity

WRITING EXERCISE:

Write a 150-word summary of the movie. In your summary use the following grammar:

1. 1. 1. 1. Both of these words, “affect” and “effect”  (See lesson below for an explanation).
         2. Both of these words, “compliment” and complement” (See lesson below for an explanation).

See this lesson for an explanation:

30 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in English