The central idea of the passage is:
**A major cause of loss of life was the absence of a safety plan.**
The passage emphasizes the lack of organization and proper safety procedures, specifically highlighting the haphazard loading of lifeboats and the resulting loss of life.
Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
On the night of the disaster, when the gongs of warning came at 11:40 pm, the captain did not have much time to avoid the iceberg. The lookout yelled, "Iceberg right ahead," but it was too late. The ship hit the iceberg, which was so solid that it is said that the impact would have been equal to 20 of the largest guns being fired upon the ship. The passengers did not know that the accident had occurred, and no alarm was ever rung. Crewmembers just started to organize a safety plan. They began loading the lifeboats haphazardly, and it said that over 500 people lost their lives due to improper loading and safety protocol. There were 1,324 passengers on the ship and the lifeboats could have carried 1,176; however, only 704 passengers were put into lifeboats.
What is the central idea of this passage?
A major cause of loss of life was the absence of a safety plan.
Passengers and crew members did not take the warnings seriously.
There were more seats on the lifeboats than there were passengers.
The captain had plenty of time between the lookout's warning and the collision.
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