The Bermuda Triangle Phenomenon

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Unit Ten
The Bermuda Triangle Phenomenon
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Background Information
Vocabulary
Text Analysis
Writing
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Background Information

• The "Bermuda Triangle," or "Devils Triangle," is
  a mythical geographic area located off the
  southeastern coast of the United States that is
  noted for an apparent high incidence of
  unexplained losses of ships, small boats and
  aircraft. It is a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean
  bordered by a line from Florida to the islands of
  Bermuda, to Puerto Rico and then back to Florida.
  

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Questions Answers
1. Have you ever heard of the Bermuda Triangle?
What have you heard about it?
2. What is your theory of why things
disappear? Where do you think they go and why
do they go there?
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Background Information

• The term "Bermuda Triangle" was first used in an
  article written by Vincent H. Gaddis for Argosy
  magazine in 1964. In the article Gaddis claimed
  that in this strange sea a number of ships and
  planes had disappeared without explanation.

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Background Information

• Countless theories attempting to explain the many
  disappearances have been offered throughout the
  history of the area. The most reasonable seem to
  be citing environmental factors and human errors.
  

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Environmental Factors

• The majority of disappearances can be attributed
  to the area's unique features. The Gulf Stream, a
  warm ocean current flowing from the Gulf of
  Mexico around the Florida Straits northeastward
  toward Europe, is extremely swift and turbulent.
  It can quickly erase any evidence of a disaster.
• The unpredictable Caribbean-Atlantic storms that
  give birth to waves of great size as well as
  waterspouts often spell disaster for pilots and
  mariners. The topography of the ocean floor
  varies from extensive shoals to some of the
  deepest marine trenches in the world. With the
  interaction of strong currents over reefs, the
  topography is in a constant state of flux and
  breeds development of new navigational hazards.

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Human Errors

• Not to be underestimated is the human factor. A
  large number of pleasure boats travel the water
  between Florida's Gold Coast (the most densely
  populated area in the world) and the Bahamas. All
  to often, crossings are attempted with too small
  a boat, insufficient knowledge of the area's
  hazards and lack of good seamanship.

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The worlds greatest mysteries also include
The mystery of Noahs Ark
The mystery of Easter Island
The mystery of wheat circles
The mystery of the rise and fall of Maya
The mystery of UFO
The mystery of Black Holes
The mystery of Pyramid Building
The mystery of the 1908 Tunguska Explosion
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The Triangle

• The Triangle is a three part mini-series that
  explores the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle,
  slowly builds suspense, and then totally loses
  its focuses at the end.

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Plot Description

• When a series of cargo ships vanish into the open
  waters of the Bermuda Triangle, a team of
  determined specialists attempt to uncover the
  mystery of the planet's most perplexing
  phenomenon in Storm of the Century and Rose Red
  director Craig R. Baxley's spooky sci-fi
  miniseries. Billionaire Eric Benirall's (Sam
  Neill) ships have gone missing at an alarming
  rate, and it's high time to find out if there's a
  human factor behind the strange disappearances.
  With each surprising revelation the plot
  surrounding the Bermuda Triangle only seems to
  deepen, though, and as the bizarre stories about
  the cursed waters slowly begin adding up to a
  bigger picture, Benirall and his fearless crew
  are about to discover that the truth is most
  certainly always stranger than any work of
  fiction.

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Watch the trailerhttp//movies2.nytimes.com/gst/m
ovies/trailer.html?v_id342053
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Text Analysis

• Main idea of the text
• More and more mysterious disappearances of
  ships and planes around Bermuda have given rise
  to peoples diverse and even fantastic
  explanations of the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon.

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Main idea ?
The world-shaking disappearance of the planes has
aroused considerable public interest in the
Bermuda Triangle, but there are no convincing
answers to this mystery.
Devices for developing it ?
Illustration (???)
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Main idea ?
On the basis of more mysteries recorded about the
triangle, several theories are brought forth.
Devices for developing it ?
Induction (???) (Paras. 4-8)
Concession (???)
Contrast (???)
Quotation (???)
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Main idea?
The Bermuda Triangle remains to be a mystery to
us and further efforts need to be made.
Devices for developing it ?
Open-ended conclusion (??????) (as confirmed in
the last sentence The researchers hope to make
contact with whatever higher intelligence may
lie under the sea.)
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Vocabulary

• install
• place sb. In a new position
• someone is installed in a new job
• put sth. in a place so that it is ready for use
• Ill definitely have a gas heater installed in
  my house before this winter.

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Vocabulary

• installation
• putting in a place
• The installation of the reactor will take two
  months.
• a nearly permanent with people, buildings and
  equipment which have a particular purpose
• The building was turned into a secret military
  installation.

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Vocabulary

• search for
• examine or go over carefully in order to find
  For over 100 years, men have been searching for
  gold in the hills. Many people spend years
  searching for peace of mind, often with little
  success.

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Vocabulary

• streak
• n. a long thin mark which is different from what
  surrounds it I've been dying my hair for years
  to hide my gray streaks. I noticed a long streak
  of tear on her cheek.
• C an often unpleasant characteristic which is
  very different from other characteristics She
  has a streak of selfishness in her. Her stubborn
  streak makes her very difficult to work with
  sometimes.

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Vocabulary

• patch
• a small area which is different in some way from
  the area that surrounds it
• wet patches on the wall
• a small piece of material used to cover a hole or
  a damaged place
• an old pair of jeans with patches on both
  knees
• v. cover with a patch
• They patched the leaking roof.

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Vocabulary

• go so far as to
• make such a strong statement or take such strong
  action as to I would go so far as to say it's
  positively neurotic. He went so far as to say
  that he would give up his life for the poor girl.
  

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Vocabulary

• turn up
• 1. discover The farmer turned up an ancient coin
  while ploughing the field.Just how do you intend
  to turn up the necessary proof?
• 2. happen without effort on one's part It's no
  good waiting for something to turn up you have
  to take actions. "In case anything turned up"
  was his favorite expression.

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Vocabulary

• vanish
• disappear or stop being present or existing, esp.
  in a sudden, surprising way
• The aircraft vanished without trace.
• cease to exist come to an end
• Many types of insects have now vanished from
  the earth.

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Vocabulary

• attribute sth. to
• regard sth. as belonging to, caused by or
  produced by sb./sth. She attributed her great
  age to a carefully planned diet. We attribute
  Edison's success to intelligence and hard work.

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Vocabulary

• magnetic
• 1. with the characteristics of a magnet An
  iron bar can be made magnetic by wrapping wire
  around it and passing an electric current through
  the wire.
• 2. having a powerful attraction He is the most
  magnetic male dancer I've ever seen.

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Vocabulary

• to date
• so far up to now To date, we've received 40
  bookings for the holiday, so we're doing quite
  well. He left three weeks ago and we haven't had
  one single letter from him to date.

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Vocabulary

• expand on/upon
• develop or give more of (a story, an argument,
  etc.) I'm quite satisfied with your explanation,
  so there's no need to expand on it. You
  mentioned the need for extra funding. Would you
  expand on that?

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Vocabulary

• make contact with
• succeed in speaking to or meeting sb./sth. We
  have succeeded in making radio contact with the
  ship. The insurance salesman tried to make
  contact with wealthy people.

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Writing

• Try to write a short composition with special
  details followed by a general conclusion.