Use of English PRO

The Titanic (0) WAS the largest ship in existence when it collided (1) ............ an iceberg on its maiden voyage and sank, taking more than 1,500 of its 2,224 passengers and crew with it, to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Constructed (2) ............ a four-year period by the Harland and Wolf company in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it was launched in 1912. Ironically, the ship was promoted as 'unsinkable' by its operator, the White Star Line. The passengers (3) ............ the Titanic were separated (4) ............ three classes: First, Second and Third. The 1,006 Third Class passengers, who made (5) ............ the majority of people on board, paid the lowest fares and as (6) ............ experienced basic levels of comfort. These were people embarking on life-changing journeys to America, in (7) ............ of better fortunes. Contrastingly, the First and Second Class passengers, (8) ............ 1.457 of them, enjoyed a civilised environment, with luxurious cabins, entertainment and the finest foods and wines.