The Titanic: opportunities not taken

White Star Lines spent more money on advertising than safety. The ship owners ..... less money on publicity and more on safety.

• could have spent

• should have spent

White Star Lines advertised the Titanic as "unsinkable". The passengers ..... the "unsinkable" claim as it sounded improbable.

• could have questioned

• should have questioned

Reports of iceberg sightings in northern routes had been received before their departure. The captain ..... farther south; it may have been safer.

• could have cruised

• should have cruised

The captain couldn't stop in time, so he turned the ship away from the iceberg. Because of this, the iceberg destroyed flotation compartments on the right side of the ships. The captain ..... directly into the iceberg, but the impact would have injured passengers.

• could have steered

• should have steered

The captain waited to see if the flotation compartments could keep the ship up. Because he did, he lost valuable time. The captain ... more quickly after the crash.

• could have reacted

• should have reacted

Before leaving, crew members were required to practice lowering lifeboats, but they lowered only two of the sixteen, and not all crew members were present yet. The captain ..... emergency drills lowering all the lifeboats with all the crew members.

• could have held

• should have held

The captain ..... the ship when a nearby ship, the Californian, radioed that they were stopped and surrounded by ice.

• could have slowed down

• should have slowed down

Staff, crew and equipment were brought together at the last minute to meet the departure date of the Titanic's first voyage. The passengers ..... sailing on the Titanic's "maiden" (first) voyage.

• could have avoided

• should have avoided

The crew ..... or believed their ship to be "unsinkable".

• couldn't have trusted

• shouldn't have trusted

The passengers ..... that it would be their last voyage.

• couldn't have known

• shouldn't have known