Nokea
The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. The interest first began when five Navy planes vanished in 1945, officially resulting from "causes or reasons unknown." The explanations about other accidents in the Triangle range from the scientific to the supernatural. Researchers have never been able to find anything truly mysterious about what happens in the Bermuda Triangle, if there even is a Bermuda Triangle. What is more, one of the biggest challenges in considering the
phenomenon is deciding how much area actually represents the Bermuda Triangle. Most consider
the Triangle to stretch from Miami out to Puerto Rico and to include the island of Bermuda.
Others expand the area to include all of the Caribbean islands and to extend eastward as far as the
Azores, which are closer to Europe than they are to North America.
The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents.
There is near-constant travel, by ship and by plane, across the Atlantic, and accidents are expected
to occur. In fact, the Bermuda triangle happens to fall within one of the busiest navigational
regions in the world, and the reality of greater activity creates the possibility for more to go wrong.
Shipping records suggest that there is not a greater than average loss of vessels within the
Bermuda Triangle, and many researchers have argued that the reputation of the Triangle makes
any accidents seem out of the ordinary. In fact, most accidents fall within the expected margin of
error. The Increase in ships from East Asia no doubt contributes to an increase in accidents. And
as for the story of the Navy planes that disappeared within the Triangle, many researchers now
conclude that it was the result of mistakes on the part of the pilots who were flying into storm
clouds and simply got lost.
Which of the following sentences is most representative of a summary sentence for this passage?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D. This sentence is the best summary statement for the entire passage because it succinctly captures the main idea of the author's discussion about the Bermuda Triangle. It highlights the lack of concrete evidence found by researchers regarding the mysterious occurrences in the Bermuda Triangle, effectively summarizing the overall tone and content of the passage. Choice A talks about the increased odds of accidents but does not capture the essence of the passage. Choice B discusses the navigational regions and the possibility of accidents, which is not the central theme of the passage. Choice C mentions the challenge of defining the Bermuda Triangle's area, which is a detail rather than a summary of the passage.