8/12/2019 Reading Private

1/2

Vocabulary PreviewMatch each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. Serious a. a way of doing something2. Trail b. a path3. Objective c. can be seen through4. Transparent d. based on fact; without personal opinion or emotion5. Haunted e. sincere; authentic6. Process f. often visited by ghosts

Researching Ghosts

Dale Kaczmarek believes in ghosts, and he has been the president of

the Ghost Research Society since 1982. In his career, Kaczmarek has met

many people who do not believe in ghosts, and when they find out that he is a

ghost expert, they think he is a fool. So, one of Kaczmareks goals is to make

ghost research more scientific. Not all people believe in ghosts, but most

people trust science. So if ghost research becomes scientific, more people

will respect Kaczmareks work. Kaczmarek follows a careful process to

investigate ghosts. The first step happens when someone telephones

Kaczmarek about a ghost. During the first phone call, Kaczmarek interviews

the caller to determine if it is a serious case or a hoax. Next, Kaczmarek

asks the caller what he or she wants him to do. Some people want him to find

out the cause of the paranormal activity, while other people want him to

remove a ghost from their house. After the phone call, Kaczmarek contacts

other members of the Ghost Research Society, and Kaczmarek makes a team

from a few members. They visit the house where the ghost was reported,

but he never tells the members any details about the case. This is very

important to keep the investigation objective because if they know the

details, they might imagine seeing something.

After a thorough inspection of the location, the team talks t

homeowner, and they share what they have observed with each othe

the first time. By waiting until this time to share the details, Kaczm

believes that his method of investigation is more scientific.

Kaczmarek has shared his expertise of ghosts by writing book

giving tours of haunted places. Kaczmarek wrote a book called Windy

Ghosts about ghosts in Chicago. One of the stories in this book is

ghost horses and their ghost riders. People sometimes see these ghos

95thStreet, which is a busy street that runs through the forest near

horse stables. People ride horses from these stables into the forest

they must cross 95th Street. Over the years, there have been se

accidents in which horses and riders were killed by fast-moving

Sometimes at night, people driving through the forest report s

transparent horses and riders crossing the street. They stop their ca

let the horses and riders pass, but when they look closely, the horse

riders have disappeared! All of these reports have come from thewhere the horse trail crosses 95th Street. Kaczmarek gives tours t

location and tries to explain the world of ghost research to his gu

Through his books, tours, and the scientific process of his investiga

Kaczmarek is improving the reputation of ghost researchers.

Expert --- a person with special knowledge or skill

Scientific --- following the principles of science

Investigate --- to examine; to look into

Determine --- to decide; to find the truth

Contact --- to communicate with

Observe --- to watch; to note with ones senses

Method --- a way of doing something; process

Expertise --- special knowledge or skill

8/12/2019 Reading Private

2/2

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.

____ Dale Kaczmarek is the president of the Ghost Research Society.

____ The first step in a ghost investigation is to visit the place where the

paranormal activity was reported.

____ Kaczmareks only job is removing ghosts.

____ Kaczmarek thinks that talking about details first helps the research

team.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1. What is one of Kaczmareks goals?

a. To be an expert on ghost horses

b. To catch the ghosts of 95th Street

c. To prove that ghosts exist

d. To make ghost research more scientific

2. Why doesnt Kaczmarek describe the paranormal activity to his team

before inspecting the location?

a. He doesnt like to frighten the team members.

b. Kaczmarek doesnt want them to expect anything.

c. He doesnt know any details until he arrivesat the location.

d. Kaczmarek and his team live far away from each other.

3. Which activity does Kaczmarek NOT do?

a. Write books about ghosts

b. Give tours of haunted places

c. Speak to ghosts for other peopled. Investigate paranormal activity

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the reading passage

and write them on the lines provided.

1. When Kaczmarek visits a house where ghosts have been reported

does he not share any details of the case to the team members?

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

2. Why does Kaczmarek give tours to the 95th Street location in Chicag

________________________________________________

________________________________________________