The Bermuda Triangle 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 it increase the odds of accidents. There is near-constant travel, by ship and 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 accident 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 pilot who were flying into storm clouds and simply got lost. Which of the following represents an opinion statement on the part of the author?
A. The thing with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents.
B. The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to sort through the myth and locate the truth.
C. The increase in ships from East Asia no doubt contributes to an increase in accidents.
D. Most consider the Triangle to stretch from Miami to Puerto Rico and include the island of Bermuda.
Choice C is an opinion statement because it expresses the author's opinion that an increase in ships from East Asia contributes to the increase in accidents within the Bermuda Triangle. It presents a subjective view on the cause of accidents in the region.
Choice A: "The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents."
- This choice is not an opinion statement. It presents a cause-and-effect relationship between the size of the Bermuda Triangle and the likelihood of accidents. It's a statement of fact or logical deduction, rather than expressing the author's opinion.
Choice B: "The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to sort through the myth and locate the truth."
- This choice is not an opinion statement either. It acknowledges the difficulty in distinguishing myth from truth in the context of the Bermuda Triangle but does not express the author's personal opinion.
Choice D: "Most consider the Triangle to stretch from Miami to Puerto Rico and include the island of Bermuda."
- This choice is also not an opinion statement. It provides information about the commonly accepted geographical boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle based on general consensus, but it does not reflect the author's opinion.
Therefore, the Correct Answer is C.
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