GHOSTS

CLOZE EXERCISE

This is a short extract from some notes made by an expert

on all kinds of ghosts and apparitions.

Most people don’t know anything about ghosts although they are (1)……….........……. about them and usually like to discuss them.

The question I get asked most frequently is this: are ghosts bad?

The poltergeist (the knocking ghost) has a bad reputation for wickedness, but even they (2) …………………. be misunderstood.

And there is (3) …………….… that the kinds of noises they can make in a house over a period of ‘haunting’ have driven people to death or

(4) ………….………..

But I often wonder if this knocking noise – so strongly connected with the delivery of messages in normal life – may be a (5) ………….……….. that a message has arrived but no one can understand it.

To my mind this is a difficult (6) ……………..…….. that has not been answered. But as to ghosts (7) ……………….. , the short answer is no, they are not bad. On the contrary, it is believed that many ghosts have a (8) ………………………. role.

Ghosts appear on earth, in some form or other, trying to look after specific living people, or (9) ………..……….. of people, when it is obvious that from a rational point of view there is no place for them here.

I would be the first to admit that even if it is their purpose to protect humans, they still (10) ……….…………. most people – including those they are trying to protect!

In the (11) ………………………, imagination, ghosts are associated with chains, dungeons, tragic histories and, above all, with the dark. And yet, you know, ghosts do not (12) ……….........………. darkness.

I think the belief that darkness is (13) ………….......….……. arises because ghosts always appear as transparent; in a night-time setting; this gives them the famous ghostly appearance.

But if they lack bodily substance – and they (14) …………………… do - does it not follow that they might simply be impossible to see in daylight?

That is my belief: they are active in daylight too, but no one can see them. They manifest themselves in other ways.

Remember too, that the ghost might wish to do his or her work without (15) …….…..........…..….. noticed. I think that is an important point.

CHOICES:

1.    a) curious  b) tea c) obvious  d) walking

2.    a) are b) not  c) can d) wasn’t

3.    a) no entry b) none c) no doubt d) silver

4.    a) insanity b) house c) clean d) school

5.    a) shelter b) boy c) sign d) absence

6.    a) meet b) murmur c) whisper d) question

7.    a) cheese b) hot c) generally d) dogs

8.    a) never b) ham c) playing d) protective

9.    a) groups b) races c) fathers d) flights

10.  a) eat  b) frighten  c) support d) tell

11.  a) popular b) tunnel c) effort d) street

12.  a) hunger b) rented c) need d) pain

13.  a) stolen b) required c) cut d) opened

14.  a) doesn’t b) thought c) right d) surely

15.  a) being b) hear c) for d) try

ANSWERS:

1a, 2c,  3c, 4a, 5c, 6d, 7c, 8d, 9a, 10b, 11a, 12c, 13b, 14d, 15a