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

Question

Part A

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

Responses

The captain of the Mary Celeste came from a family of sailors and grew up with four brothers.
The captain of the Mary Celeste came from a family of sailors and grew up with four brothers.

One theory about the fate of the people on board the Mary Celeste is that they disappeared on purpose.
One theory about the fate of the people on board the Mary Celeste is that they disappeared on purpose.

Newspapers reported on the story of the Mary Celeste and provided clues to what happened to the ship’s crew.
Newspapers reported on the story of the Mary Celeste and provided clues to what happened to the ship’s crew.

The captain and crew of the Dei Gratia put a lot of work into salvaging the Mary Celeste.
The captain and crew of the Dei Gratia put a lot of work into salvaging the Mary Celeste.
Question 2
Part B

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

Responses

“He was born in Wareham, Massachusetts, in 1835, the second of five sons of Captain Nathan Briggs, all of whom but one became sailors.”
“He was born in Wareham, Massachusetts, in 1835, the second of five sons of Captain Nathan Briggs, all of whom but one became sailors.”

“The trial was big news reported in all the penny papers of the day.”
“The trial was big news reported in all the penny papers of the day.”

“They actually got only a fifth, and out of it had to pay all court costs.”
“They actually got only a fifth, and out of it had to pay all court costs.”

“The only people who knew what really happened on the Mary Celeste after the last log entry had been written were the ten people on board."

Answer 1

Part A

The main idea of The Mary Celeste: An Unsolved Mystery from History is:

One theory about the fate of the people on board the Mary Celeste is that they disappeared on purpose.

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Part B

The detail from the text that best supports the answer to Part A is:

“The only people who knew what really happened on the Mary Celeste after the last log entry had been written were the ten people on board.”

This detail emphasizes the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the crew and supports the idea that their fate remains uncertain, aligning with the theory that they might have disappeared on purpose.