Refer to The Mary Celeste: An Unsolved Mystery from History for a complete version of this text.

Part A

Which statement is a main idea of The Mary Celeste: An Unsolved Mystery from History?

It is very uncommon for a crew to rebel against its captain and take over the ship.

The crew that found the Mary Celeste won the trial for the right to claim its cargo.

There are many possible explanations for why the crew of the ship disappeared.

People believe that the Mary Celeste was cursed because of her negative history.


Question 2

Part B

Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

“Salvage money is a payment from the insurers and the owners of the freight, who are—in a way—buying back the ship and cargo from those who found the derelict.”

“Mutinies, though rare, had happened as recently as 1857, on the schooner Walter M. Towgood.”

“Though lots of people have ideas—or theories—about what might have happened, no one is sure.”

“In 1868, she was sold to an American and given a new name: Mary Celeste, possibly as a superstitious way to avoid more tragedy.”