1 Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Yeti. Yeren. Yowie. The names and the details may differ from place to place, but from North America to China to New Zealand, one thing is certain: Something is out there. Chocolate brown or white as snow, these hair-covered, upright-standing creatures have been talked about for more than six hundred years. And whether we read about the ancient legends or the modern-day sightings, the stories make us wonder.
Bigfoot = Sasquatch
2 Bigfoot is a creature of many names. According to naturalist Dr. Robert Michael Pyle, Native American legends call it by several exotic names, including Sasquatch, Sokqueatl, or Sesquac (from a language spoken by several tribes of Pacific Northwestern Native Americans). No matter how it's pronounced, the name means "wild man."
3 That certainly describes the creature Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin claimed they saw wandering along the rural Northern California timberline in October 1967. The creature was enormous—at least seven feet tall—and walked upright like a man. But it wasn't a man. In fact, it was like nothing the outdoorsmen had seen before.
4 Patterson carefully reached into his saddlebag and pulled out his 16-millimeter movie camera to capture the moment on film. And for decades, Bigfoot believers have been thankful he did.
5 Was Sasquatch the last thing Patterson expected to see along Bluff Creek as he let his horse rest and sip cool water? Not necessarily. He and Gimlin were known Bigfoot/Sasquatch hunters and longed to prove the legends were true. The film they shot became one of the most famous pieces of footage in Bigfoot history.
6 Even the experts can't agree on the film's authenticity. Some say it's an elaborate hoax, a fake Bigfoot, a prank. But others see the film as proof-positive that the elusive primate is more than a North American myth.
Keeping Track
Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, Idaho State University Professor of Anatomy, Primatology, and Paleontology
7 Raised in the heart of Bigfoot country—the Pacific Northwest—Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum grew up in the shadow of the legend. So it's not surprising that he'd have an interest in the hair-covered beast. What makes him different from most Bigfoot-enthusiasts is the careful and scientific approach he's taken to analyze dozens of Sasquatch tracks.
8 About Dr. Meldrum's research, professor and Cambridge University Press author/editor Walter Hartwig says, "[Meldrum] has executed the model approach. He's weeded out what he believes might be hoaxes or misidentifications. . . . It's beautiful and well-controlled, inductive science. You may think it's far-out, but methodologically speaking, he has toed the line very strictly."
9 His conclusion? There is sound, scientific reason to believe North America has its own giant ape. But, as he admits in the Denver Post, convincing the world and his professional peers hasn't been easy. Meldrum says, "If someone takes the time to visit the lab, they are almost uniformly overwhelmed by the amount of data. Usually they have no concept of the amount of evidence that's been collected."
Body of Evidence: The Skookum Cast
10 Using apples and melons as bait, members of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization claim to have captured the first partial body cast of a Washington State Sasquatch. Positioned at the center of a mud puddle in the Skookum Meadows of Gifford Pinchot National Forest, not far from Mount Saint Helens, the tasty snack allegedly convinced a full-grown creature to lie at the puddle's edge and feast. Deep impressions of a hair-covered hip, elbow, heel, wrist, and even buttocks were left in the mud. Mere hours after the mystery creature left the scene, the team captured the impressions in a plaster cast.
11 Idaho professor Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, the late Dr. Grover Krantz (a physical anthropologist from the Washington State University), and journalist John Green carefully studied the plaster cast to try to determine what kind of animal actually visited the scene. In a press release circulated by the Idaho State University, the men stated that the impressions could not have been made by any "known" animals living in the region and that an unknown primate was the most likely candidate.
12 Others have said an elk kneeling to gobble the fruit made the impressions in the mud, not a mysterious cryptid. Dr. Meldrum disagrees.
13 "While not definitively proving the existence of a species of North American ape," Dr. Meldrum said in the release, "the cast constitutes significant and compelling new evidence that will hopefully stimulate further serious research and investigation."
14 More than 200 pounds of plaster was used to make the Skookum Cast, which is 3½ feet wide and 5 feet tall. Measurements of the imprints indicated that whatever creature made this impression was 40 to 50 percent larger than a 6-foot-tall human being. When the cast was cleaned, hair samples were extracted. All of them turned out to belong to deer, elk, coyote, and bear—all but one. One hair had unique primate (ape) characteristics. Dr. Henner Fahrenback, a biomedical research scientist from Beaverton, Oregon, has labeled it "Sasquatch."
Question 20 (1 point)
Listen
What does the phrase "elaborate hoax" mean as it is used in line 2 of paragraph 6?
Question 20 options:
an unusual story
an odd event
a well-planned trick
a well-known tale
Question 21 (1 point)
Listen
Which quotation BEST expresses the central idea of the section, "Keeping Track"?
Question 21 options:
"Meldrum says, 'If someone takes the time to visit the lab, they are almost uniformly overwhelmed by the amount of data.' " (lines 4 through 6 of paragraph 9)
"But, as he admits in the Denver Post, convincing the world and his professional peers hasn't been easy." (lines 2 through 4 of paragraph 9).
"Raised in the heart of Bigfoot country—the Pacific Northwest—Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum grew up in the shadow of the legend." (lines 1 through 3 of paragraph 7)
"He's weeded out what he believes might be hoaxes or misidentifications. . . . It's beautiful and well-controlled, inductive science." (lines 3 through 5 of paragraph 8)
Question 22 (1 point)
Listen
Read this sentence from lines 1 through 3 (paragraph 10) of the article. Using apples and melons as bait, members of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization claim to have captured the first partial body cast of a Washington State Sasquatch.
What central idea does the authors' use of the phrase claim to have captured reveal?
Question 22 options:
physical evidence will eventually prove that the creature is real
the creature's need for food has lured it to many places
proof of the creature's existence continues to be questioned
the creature has avoided traps that should have restrained it
Question 23 (1 point)
Listen
Which of the following statements is BEST supported by evidence from the passage?
Question 23 options:
Bigfoot sightings have only been reported in North America.
The film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin is universally accepted as genuine.
Native American legends refer to Bigfoot by various exotic names.
Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum's research on Sasquatch tracks has been widely criticized.
Question 24 (1 point)
Listen
How to the authors BEST develop the central idea of the text?
Question 24 options:
debating conflicting views of Bigfoot to show that both sides are partly correct
providing historical sightings of the creature to show that most experts believe in Bigfoot's existence
analyzing investigative data to show that evidence of Bigfoot's existence is uncertain
summarizing scientific opinions to show that Bigfoot is a mythical creature
Question 25 (1 point)
Listen
Which answer BEST changes this sentence to active voice?
There is sound, scientific reason to believe North America has its own giant ape.
Question 25 options:
North America has its own giant ape for sound, scientific reasons.
North America is believed to have a giant ape due to sound science.
Belief in North America having its own giant ape is scientifically sound.
North America having its own giant ape is scientifically reasoned.
1 answer
Here are the answers to the questions based on the passage provided:
Question 20: What does the phrase "elaborate hoax" mean as it is used in line 2 of paragraph 6?
Answer: a well-planned trick
Question 21: Which quotation BEST expresses the central idea of the section, "Keeping Track"?
Answer: "But, as he admits in the Denver Post, convincing the world and his professional peers hasn't been easy." (lines 2 through 4 of paragraph 9).
Question 22: What central idea does the authors' use of the phrase claim to have captured reveal?
Answer: proof of the creature's existence continues to be questioned
Question 23: Which of the following statements is BEST supported by evidence from the passage?
Answer: Native American legends refer to Bigfoot by various exotic names.
Question 24: How do the authors BEST develop the central idea of the text?
Answer: analyzing investigative data to show that evidence of Bigfoot's existence is uncertain
Question 25: Which answer BEST changes this sentence to active voice?
Answer: North America has its own giant ape for sound, scientific reasons.
Feel free to ask if you have more questions or need further assistance!
