SUMMARY WRITING - Ex 10 : Titanic

The passage which follow describes the events leading up to the sinking of the ship Titanic. Write a
summary of all the things that went wrong and eventually became contributing factors in the sink -
ing of the ship. (I would first like to see your notes / points, followed by your summary). (150-180
words).

Reports showed icebergs nearly in the path of the huge ship; unfortunately, not all these reports
reached her control room. Nevertheless, the captain and his officers clearly knew there was a dis-
tinct possibility, even likelihood, of encountering an iceberg during the night. The captain must
have known the risk he was taking in maintaining Titanic’s speed, but decided to take it anyway; to
have slowed his ship under the circumstances would have suggested a degree of timidity out of
keeping with his character. Also his reputation was involved; he was understandably proud of it and
did not want to damage it at this stage in his career. This marvellous vessel he commanded was on
her first voyage while he, ironically, was on his last.

The lookouts were specifically warned to watch for icebergs, yet they did not seem particularly con-
cerned about this possibility. Nor had any extra lookouts been posted. No special instructions were
given to the ship’s engineers to stand by for possible emergency manoeuvres. The advisability of
slowing the vessel down to allow more time to react should an iceberg be sighted ahead does not
appear to have been considered by the captain. This is hardly surprising as it would have thwarted
hope for an even higher speed on the following day.

When further messages about icebergs came in from the ship California, the young radio operator
on the Titanic ignored them. Although he was dedicated to his profession, he did not have that de-
gree of judgement which comes from years of experience. Besides, the glamour of his job had made
him arrogant.

Meanwhile, as one of the lookouts neared the end of his watch, an ominous smudge about the size
of his hand loomed on the horizon dead ahead. The object grew rapidly in size and distinctness.
Convinced that one of the icebergs he had been warned about was directly in the Titanic’s path, the
lookout raised the alert and watched helplessly as the ship hurtled towards the shed grey wall of ice.

(adapted from Disasters at Sea, by Captain Richard A Cahill)

Ex. 6 Cafe India (CUP English Language)

Read the passage and summarise the things that Aruradhu likes to do in Cafe India. (Again,
first notes, then the summary).

Aruradhu loved Cafe India and went there whenever she had a free afternoon. The coffee
which was served there was perfect, the right blend of beans, not too strong, but with a full
flavour. The service was excellent and she had come to know the waiters well, particularly
the charming young man called Sajjad, a university student who worked part-time in Cafe
India to pay for his studies.
Sitting there today, Aruradhu looked around the familiar space - with its checked table cov-
ers, cream walls, slightly fraying carpet - and thought that its familiarity was comforting.
Sometimes, when it wasn’t too hot, she liked to sit on the balcony, which gave a bird’s eye
view of the street below. She watched people chatting, and once she had witnessed a pick-
pocket in action, unaware that she was being watched from above. On other days, she met
up with her friends, former teachers like herself, and they passed a happy time reminiscing
about the good old days in the classroom.
On other occasions, like today, she could read a book- crime novels were her favourites -
and sip coffee contentedly as she pretended not to be listening in to other people’s conversa-
tions, a secret delight.