Question

Sample response: the author explains that there was only wreckage where the back of the ship should have been. the stern must be in the back of the ship because the text says the stern was missing. which ideas did you include in your response? check any that apply. there was only wreckage where the back of the ship should have been. the stern was missing.

1) There was only wreckage where the back of the ship should have been.
2) The stern was missing.
3) The author explains that the stern must be in the back of the ship.
4) The text says the stern was missing.

Answer 1

The most reasonable explanation based on the given texts is that the ship was destroyed by a storm, as evidenced by the fact that it did not reach its destination and only wreckage with the initials L.S. was discovered.

Step-by-step explanation:

The explanation that the ship was destroyed by the storm is supported by a series of clues given in the different excerpts.

The ship did not arrive at its destination, only wreckage was found, and the wreckage had the initials L.S. Other theories such as an encounter with pirates, a collision with a whale, or landing on a deserted island lack evidence from the provided texts.

The key point emphasized here is that the wreckage marked with initials indicates the ship met its end due to the storm - it's the most reasonable explanation given the facts.