Vocabulary Reference

A 20th Century disaster

passenger liner
a large ship that carries people across the sea

iceberg
a very large piece of ice in the ocean

to sink
to go under the water

to strike
to hit with force

string quartet
a classical music group of four people

lifeboats
something that is used to help people escape from danger on a ship

Blue Peter: Titanic: A child survivor’s story

fortunate
lucky

apprehension
fear that something bad will happen

luxurious
extremely comfortable or elegant

shipwreck
the destruction of a ship at sea by sinking or breaking up

stationary
not moving, still

tragedy
an event causing great suffering, destruction and distress

overcrowded
when there are too many people in a space than is comfortable

6 Minute Vocabulary
rainfall
water that falls as rain over a period of time

water level
the height of water in rivers and lakes

burst its banks

we say this when the water level of a river gets so high that the water overflows its sides and
floods the local area

flooded
full of water, usually from coming from rainfall

soaked
covered in water

waterlogged
when something is so full of water it cannot hold any more

Eyewitness accounts

I could hardly stand

I almost couldn’t stand up

tilting
leaning to one side

lowered
moved into a low position

making a lark of it
making fun of a situation

boatswain
a ship’s officer in charge of equipment and the crew, also written as bosun

jutting out
sticking out

News Report

pulpit
high place in a church where the priest speaks

research
a detailed study of a subject

satisfaction
feeling of being happy when you do or receive something you wanted
clergy
priests or other religious leaders, especially in the Christian Church

vicar
priest in Church of England who is in charge of a church

roles
jobs

actually
used in sentences to show surprise

similarities
things that are similar or the same

stressful
describes an activity that makes people feel worried or nervous

till
a container with a drawer in a shop where the money goes after a customer pays

publican
manager of a pub

bottoms on seats
people watching a performance (the bottom is the part of the body you sit on)

The Race

shipwrecked
unable to go anywhere because your ship/boat has been damaged in an accident

castaways
people who are left on an island or beach (where there are no other people) because their ship
has been sunk or damaged

marooned
left or stuck in a place that you cannot leave

driftwood
wood that is floating on the sea or brought onto the beach by the sea

beachcombing
searching a beach for shells or valuable or useful objects
I was with my parents. My father was going to open a business in Winnipeg. People were saying to
my mother and father how fortunate they were to get on the Titanic. I was excited because I was
going on a wonderful big ship.

I had no fear or apprehension or anything. She was very beautiful: luxurious beyond words. It was
the first time I'd been on board a ship. Captain Smith was on deck and he was very nice. He had a
beard like my own grandfather and he admired a doll I had.

On the third night I was sound asleep. My mother woke me and said "I'm going to dress you." But
before she could by father came back from deck and said "You'd best put this thick coat on." That
was all he said. Standing on deck, I couldn't see around the funnel. My father came back and said
"The ship has struck an iceberg." My father had no difficulty in putting me and my mother in
lifeboats but he made no attempt to get in himself.

When we were in the water, we could hear people rushing about on the deck. That's when the
panic must have started – when they found there weren't any lifeboats left. I was terrified. I didn't
know what a shipwreck would mean or how long it would take but I was too terrified to do
anything but shriek for my father I knew we'd left behind.

Before she sank, she was a very beautiful ship: stationary on the ocean with all her lights on. It was
dreadfully cold but the sea was the calmest I'd ever seen. The starlit night was the brightest I'd
ever seen.

I looked back and saw the whole of that tragedy. And I saw that ship break in half. The front part
went down and left the stern sticking up in a horrifying fashion. It was enormous. It seemed to
stick up in the air for a long time. And then it gradually went down, turning over.

And after that there was the sound of the whole disaster. And that was people drowning. That is
something you could never forget. And then the dreadful silence that followed it. It seemed as if
the whole world was standing still.

It was discovered that my lifeboat was overcrowded and the officer in charge of the boat decided
he would get rid of his load by putting people in other boats. I got separated from my mother and
didn't find her until the next day.

The next day, the icebergs were like white sails in the distance: white yachts with the sun on them.
They were very beautiful. They were all around us. The crew of the ship that rescued us were very
kind and good to us.

We were given clothes because I'd only got my nightclothes and a blanket around me. I had
nightmares from the time it sank until I was 23. And though I wouldn't like to say I'm not
frightened of the sea, I lost a lot of the horror. I've never been in anything touching the Titanic. A
beauty. She was lovely.