The Bermuda Triangle is a mythical section of the Atlantic Ocean roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico where dozens of ships and airplanes have disappeared. Unexplained circumstances surround some of these accidents, including one in which the pilots of a squadron of U.S. Navy bombers became disoriented while flying over the area; the planes were never found. Other boats and planes have seemingly vanished from the area in good weather without even radioing distress messages. But although myriad fanciful theories have been proposed regarding the Bermuda Triangle, none of them prove that mysterious disappearances occur more frequently there than in other well-traveled sections of the ocean. In fact, people navigate the area every day without incident. The area referred to as the Bermuda Triangle, or Devil's Triangle, covers about 500,000 square miles of ocean off the southeastern tip of Florida. When Christopher Columbus sailed through the area on his first voyage to the New World, he reported that a great flame of fire (probably a meteor) crashed into the sea one night and that a strange light appeared in the distance a few weeks later. He also wrote about erratic compass readings, perhaps because at that time a sliver of the Bermuda Triangle was one of the few places on Earth where true north and magnetic north lined up. A pattern allegedly began forming in which vessels traversing the Bermuda Triangle would either disappear or be found abandoned. Then, in December 1945, five Navy bombers carrying 14 men took off from a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airfield in order to conduct practice bombing runs over some nearby shoals. But with his compasses apparently malfunctioning, the leader of the mission, known as Flight 19, got severely lost. All five planes flew aimlessly until they ran low on fuel and were forced to ditch at sea. That same day, a rescue plane and its 13-man crew also disappeared. After a massive weeks-long search failed to turn up any evidence, the official Navy report declared that it was "as if they had flown to Mars." In all probability, however, there is no single theory that solves the mystery. As one skeptic put it, trying to find a common cause for every Bermuda Triangle disappearance is no more logical than trying to find a common cause for every automobile accident in Arizona. Moreover, although storms, reefs and the Gulf Stream can cause navigational challenges there, maritime insurance leader Lloyd's of London does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an especially hazardous place. Neither does the U.S. Coast Guard, which says: "In a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, there has been nothing discovered that would indicate that casualties were the result of anything other than physical causes. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified." What is the primary purpose of the passage? A. Explore the history and notable incidents of the Bermuda Triangle to uncover the underlying mysteries surrounding the area. B. Evaluate speculations regarding the Bermuda Triangle and demonstrate the lack of evidence supporting its mythical status. C. Analyze incidents and disappearances within the Bermuda Triangle to understand potential causes and debunk myths. D. Trace the evolution of the Bermuda Triangle legend from early navigational anomalies to modern-day scientific skepticism. E. Discuss the navigational and environmental challenges of the Bermuda Triangle to enhance understanding of the phenomena attributed to the area.

Last visit was: 22 Apr 2026, 15:23

It is currently 22 Apr 2026, 15:23

Toolkit

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Apr 26
Score High on the GMAT with Target Test Prep
10:00 AM EDT
-
11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 27
Try OnDemand GMAT Masterclass
11:00 AM EDT
-
12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 28
Join - GMAT Day!
08:00 AM PDT
-
11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.

Back to Forum

Create Topic

V60-01

1 2

vr7

Joined: 16 May 2023

Last visit: 29 Oct 2025

Posts: 3

Given Kudos: 2

Posts: 3

Kudos: 0

23 Nov 2024, 20:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

Yeah. Speculation is better suited here.

Dbrunik

Joined: 13 Apr 2024

Last visit: 20 Apr 2026

Posts: 259

Own Kudos:

136

Given Kudos: 267

Location: United States (MN)

Concentration: Finance, Technology

GMAT Focus 1: 625 Q84 V82 DI77 Verified score

Posts: 259

Kudos: 136

02 Dec 2024, 17:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

I think this is a high-quality question and I agree with explanation.

terminatork07

Joined: 29 Jul 2023

Last visit: 21 Apr 2026

Posts: 33

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 23

Posts: 33

Kudos: 5

11 May 2025, 02:05

Kudos

Bookmarks

I don’t quite agree with the solution. Explanation for C can be changes. IMO, this answer choice is not too narros - We can eliminate C because author doesn't debunk any myths, it simply states the myth(singular). Uptill - "Analyze incidents and disappearances within the Bermuda Triangle to understand potential causes", the answer choice seems okay.

terminatork07

Joined: 29 Jul 2023

Last visit: 21 Apr 2026

Posts: 33

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 23

Posts: 33

Kudos: 5

16 Sep 2025, 03:23

Kudos

Bookmarks

I don’t quite agree with the solution. Author hasn't evaluated the speculations(Concessions, criticisms or his/her opinion on any speculations on the listed stories in paragraph 2 and 3). Evaluate doesn't seem the correct verb for Primary Purpose question.

hr1212

GMAT Forum Director

Joined: 18 Apr 2019

Last visit: 22 Apr 2026

Posts: 924

Own Kudos:

1,330

[1]

Given Kudos: 2,215

GMAT Focus 1: 775 Q90 V85 DI90 Verified score

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT Focus 1: 775 Q90 V85 DI90 Verified score

Posts: 924

Kudos: 1,330

[1]

16 Sep 2025, 04:14

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi terminatork07,

I hear your point, but I’d suggest that try to look at the option more holistically rather than being limited to a specific paragraph. In this case, “evaluate” works because the author presents a few incidents and theories, weighs them, and seems to conclude that they lack evidence. Whenever you find yourself hung up on one word, set it aside and check the other options. Often, there are simpler and more direct reasons to eliminate them, which saves you from wasting time on internal conflict.

terminatork07