Free iBT integrated writing task submission

Guest

The lecturer refuses to accept the two theories of mutiny and piracy stated in the passage as possible explanations for the mystery surrounding the “ghost ship”, Mary Celeste. He argues that both these theories contradict the known facts. The lecturer then attempts to give an alternative explanation.

The text states mutiny as one of the plausible explanation for the mystery. The crew members may have killed the strict captain and his family members before throwing them overboard. They then abandoned the ship and left in one of the lifeboats. The lecturer, however, argues that Captain Briggs was a very experienced and respectable person. The crew members also had a good reputation. Another fact is that no personal belongings were taken by the crew before they left in the lifeboats and thus the lecturer feels that this theory is completely invalid.

The theory of piracy, as explained in the text, is also untrue according to the lecturer. The text states that the ship and the crew that found Mary Celeste may have killed the crew and passengers of Mary Celeste. However, the lecturer argues that the captain of the ship that found Mary Celeste was a friend of Captain Briggs. More importantly, in the trial that followed suspecting a foul play, no evidence was found against any of the crew members.

After claiming that the theories explained in the passage seem to be invalid, the lecturer attempts to provide one plausible explanation for mystery. The lecturer says that that text also agrees on the fact that 9 of the 1701 barrels of alcohol that were being transported were found to be empty. Thus, there might have been an incident of leakage in the barrels leading to fumes. Due to inexperience in transporting alcohol, the captain and crew members feared of fire and explosion. Thus they abandoned the ship and left in lifeboats. The either got lost in the sea then or were drowned.

Guest

The speaker refutes the different theories that were made in the passage to explain the missing crew of the ship Mary Celeste. The first possibility that there might have been a mutiny in the ship leading to the captain being killed and the crew does not hold. He says that the captain was highly respected among the crew and so a mutiny might not have occured. The second possibility,that the ship that discovered Mary Celeste playing a role behind the mysterious disappearance of the crew,also does not hold good because the prosecutors could not find any tangible evidence.
The speaker in turn provides another explanation. Alcohol barrels were being carried in the ship. Some alcohol might have leaked resulting in alcohol vapors being formed which in turn was a fire hazard. The captain, not experienced in transporting alcohol before , might have panicked and hence might have abandoned the ship with the crew. This is proved by the fact that no possessions were taken along. Later they might have perished in the journey.
Thus the speaker argues that neither of the theories as stated in the passage provide convincing explanations and that the one he suggested seems the most plausible.

Guest

There are two versions of the ghost ship accident that happened to the Mary Celeste. On the one hand, we have this theory from the passage which cast accusations upon the captain of the ship. It is telling us that the captain have killed his crew because of the goods that were transported on the boat. This theory also mentioned the crew who found the Mary Celeste abandoned as the blamed ones, it is supposed that they have killed the crew from the ghost ship and took the carriage. On the other hand, from the lecture we find out that the truth is totally different. Narrator is emphasis that the captain was very famous and respectful man. He was very experienced and in a good relationship with his crew. It is also important to say that the theory of the piracy was totally rejected, because the captain of the Mary Celeste was a good friend with the leader of the crew who found the ghost ship near Portugal. The best proves which can actually explain what really happened on the ghost ship are the trails of the explosion. Since the boat have carried a large amount of alcohol, and being without any captain's experience in this kind of transportation the accidence had occurred. It is believed that the alcohol somehow started to leak during the trip and caused the fire. The crew helplessly tried to diminished the fire and to bring some air in to the ship but it was in vain, they all had to leave the ship. Needless to say, this theory of the explosion, in one way, really saved the reputation of the Mary Celeste and its captain. The narrator showed us that the courage and noble spirit of the captain remained till the end.